


Strangers in a Tempest

by Frida_the_Saintly



Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: 1940s, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon, F/M, Jinchuu Arc, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-26
Updated: 2011-11-04
Packaged: 2017-10-11 06:23:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/109414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frida_the_Saintly/pseuds/Frida_the_Saintly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. It's the 1940s and Enishi kidnaps Kaoru from the Kamiya dojo for his revenge against Kenshin. All goes according to plan until his private plane crashes in a storm-leaving them both on an inhabited island with nothing but their wits and each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Day

****"I bear you no ill-will" a figure announced, emerging from the smoke, "but for the sake of justice, I'll take you victim here."

Kaoru stared in fright at the tall figure looming above her: Enishi Yukishiro—the swordsman who had just defeated her beloved Kenshin. Fear lodged itself in her throat.

The man had fought Kenshin in her dojo to avenge his sister's death, unwilling to believe that Kenshin killed her by accident. He'd witnessed her death at an impressionably young age more than a decade ago. Now, he was determined to transform Kenshin's life into a living hell.

Yukishiro smiled. He stalked towards her with his sword draped across his shoulders.

"There are no grudges between us," he said, "but in order to bring justice down upon Kenshin… _I will have to make a sacrifice out of you_."

His words sent a chill down her spine. She cursed silently for not fleeing the scene earlier.

The young woman had nothing on her but Kenshin's sword sheath, but she raised it anyway—the sweat on her palms threatening to dislocate her grip. She couldn't even be in her proper defensive stance because she was still in her work clothes from the Nippon Columbia factory.

He looked unimpressed. "Even if you struggle, Battousai will not come."

She noted that he called Kenshin by his former assassin's name, as if nothing's changed.

"If you try to fight," he continued, "the outcome won't be in your favour. If you behave, it won't be too painful for you."

While she was still frightened, the man's arrogance sparked her determination.

"I know that I won't win, but I can't surrender," she said. "Kenshin swore that in order to protect the innocent, he'd fight to the end."

She gritted her teeth. "So long as Kenshin doesn't give up, I won't surrender to you!"

Yukishiro's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "Is that so?"

The figure disappeared into the smoke.

Kaoru looked around. A hand suddenly shot out from behind and covered her nose and mouth—suffocating her.

"Then there is no way around it," he whispered.

She struggled against him, but her world spun. Her body screamed for air. Her limbs flailed. She grabbed the offending hand on her face but couldn't pry it off. Her blood vessels were about to burst.

The sword sheath clattered to the ground with a hollow sound. She blacked out.

 

* * *

 

"How much longer?"

"Should be only about 20 minutes, sir."

The girl blearily opened her eyes. It felt like she had been staying too late at the Akebeko again. She really should take it easy on the sake.

Wait… she wasn't at the Akebeko last night.

Kaoru's memory came back when she noticed a tuft of white hair behind the leather seat in front of her. The musky smell of leather, cigars, and recently cleaned carpet infiltrated her nasal passages with full force, almost making her gag.

The wind made a screeching sound as it hurled past metal at several hundred miles per hour; pellets of rain rattled against glass windows; the propellers whizzed as it cut through cloud and sky; the ground shook intermittently.

She'd been kidnapped and was now on a private plane.

Her stomach felt like it made a freefall down the Empire State building.

She'd never been kidnapped nor been on a plane before. The latter could have been a pleasant novelty if it didn't mean that she was several thousand feet in the air, trapped with a Shanghai mafia lord probably keen on hurting her.

She thought of Kenshin and everyone else left back in her dojo. The image of Kenshin's wounded form pained her. _Kenshin, please be okay_, she prayed

Where was Yukishiro taking her? Was he taking her outside of Japan? Her stomach wasn't consoled by this possibility. She'd never been outside of Japan and only had limited knowledge of other countries, although she was familiar with some American fiction. The Meiji government had so far managed to modernize while remaining isolationist during the first half of the 20th Century.

Lying down on the carpeted floor, she remained as still as possible, hoping that Yukishiro and the others on the plane wouldn't notice that she was already awake. Her hands were bound by rope, but her lower limbs remained free.

"Are you sure it's only 20 minutes? You already said that half an hour ago," Yukishiro growled.

"I'm sorry sir, it's the best guess I have with this storm we're flying through," the pilot apologized, staring at the foreboding course ahead.

Lightning streaked across the sky.

The mafia lord muttered something and lit a cigar. She couldn't see much of him other than the glint of his yin-yang earring, the flash of his round spectacles, and a cigar between his long fingers. All that seemed to be missing was a tiger at his side, or an opium den. He reeked of seedy Shanghai underground.

Kaoru had to admit that seedy Shanghai underground didn't lack taste. Although the design was at least a decade old, it was still snappy. The interior of the private plane, in direct contrast to the stormy scene before them, was illuminated and decorated in 1930s Art Deco. The black leather seats of the plane were wide and designed with lounging in mind. The interior wall panels curved in a way that suggested a distant luxurious sensuality—like a silk dress carelessly draped over the curves of Marlene Dietrich.

Brass was inlaid tastefully throughout the craft to further emphasize the might of the aerodynamic machine. A beautifully crafted glass triangle rested beside Yukishiro—and this was an ashtray. The entire interior of the plane was a testament to the power of the Shanghai criminal underground and the triumph of the machine-age.

The girl flicked her eyes to investigate the rest of the plane. It appeared to her that there were only the two men with her on the craft. Even if she had her hands free, she had no chance of taking control of the situation… but having her hands free was better than nothing.

She braced herself against the floor as turbulence shook the plane. Taking a look around her more immediate surroundings, she couldn't find a sharp object to cut the ropes that bound her. Her attention shifted to the glint of red by the window.

Yukishiro noticed it too, almost jumping out of his seat. "The wing is on fire."

"I can't explain it sir," the pilot said, now barely audible through the pounding storm. "We'll just have to make a crash landing anywhere, hopefully on dry land and radio for support."

The mafia lord was tense. He put out his cigar and clenched his fist tightly against the armrest.

Tremors shook the plane. The ashtray slid off the table and crashed to the ground.

Kaoru became dizzy as the pilot became more desperate in his attempts to assert control. The plane rolled to the side and she slid to a wall with thud.

Yukishiro stood up and scrambled to get a life vest on. The plane began to free-fall.

The pilot was shouting something, but she could not hear a word he said as the plane nosedived into the deep waters of the Pacific, and all became eclipsed in a blanket of silence.

As the water came pouring into the plane, Kaoru had a final thought:

_Triumphant machine-age my ass._

_   
_

* * *

 

Cold water rushed into the vessel with an impossible force. Kaoru's body crashed against the walls of the plane and into numerous objects. One moment she was breathing air, the next moment she was swallowing gallons of water. It was hard to figure out which way was up, but she fought to keep her head up and used her bound hands to steady her body against a headrest. She had a moment to look around and take stock of the rapidly deteriorating situation. The exit door was open.

Knowing that her hands were still bound, she gritted her teeth. Kaoru took a deep breath and dove out into the unknown.

She kicked her way to the surface, and clung on to the first thing in front of her—a floating steamer trunk. She coughed up some salt water, and was greeted with the full force of a tropical storm. Heavy rain fell down like buckets of water, and lightning served to momentarily illuminate the dark clouds in the sky. Kaoru grimaced and looked around for survivors. The plane behind her was destroyed and parts of it were still ablaze.

"Hello?" Kaoru shouted. "Is anybody there?" Using the steamer trunk as a floatation device, she kicked her way around the crash site to get a better look at the plane interior. Behind the glass of the pilot's cabin, she saw the pilot in his uniform still strapped to his seat. The girl kicked her way closer to the pilot, and was about to shout for his attention when the entire plane sunk underwater, taking the pilot down with it.

She stared at the empty spot in the ocean where the plane used to be, and tried to fight off the growing sense of fear and dismay amidst the rain and black skies.

"No one's here to protect you, so you better smarten up," she whispered to herself.

She tried to cut her hands free with a sharp edge of the trunk. It wasn't working. Kaoru looked for anything useful in the surrounding debris… there was nothing. There was only debris and some floating cigars.

She squinted at the distance. An outline of land was visible not too far away, although it was hard to judge with this kind of visibility. It could take her maybe an hour to get there with her current movement speed.

Now that she had a target, the girl set on her course with determination, and kicked her way to safety with every ounce of energy and gusto in her bones. She kicked her way through the rain and tried her best to ignore the rumbling thunder and lightning strikes, although she had always been fearful of storms ever since she was a child. The ocean currents pulled her in different directions; the waves pushed her back, but with each obstacle her determination only grew stronger.

She wondered about the other passenger of the plane—the infamous Enishi Yukishiro. Did he survive? Or did he get pulled down into the depths of the Pacific just like that poor nameless pilot? It wasn't clear which scenario was preferable: to be alone but free, or to have company but be captive.

As the girl continued to fight her way across the stormy waters, she looked around for a tuft of white hair in the inky black waters beyond. No luck. She continued her arduous journey. She tried hard not to think about how long it would take her to get to shore. Kenshin never gave up, if Kenshin were here, he'd get to shore with a serene smile possibly wind up finding the shortcut to enlightenment.

She lost track of time. It seemed like the outline of land wasn't getting any closer, and the waters of the Pacific stretched out into infinity. She was starting to feel like Sisyphus.

While Kaoru wrestled with her inner cynic, a ghost dove in behind her.

Kaoru shrieked and almost lost hold on her raft.

Yukishiro was beside her, holding on to her floating trunk, almost unrecognizable, as his hair was matted and dark grey from the saltwater. He looked haggard, injured, but still a far more robust swimmer than her.

_It helps that he doesn't have his hands bound_, she thought with resentment.

"Hold on to me," Yukishiro shouted over the storm, doing his best to keep his chin above the water and the oncoming waves. "You'll get to shore faster."

Kaoru looked at him in suspicion while trying to defend herself against the next wave that crashed over their heads.

Yukishiro looked impatient. "You're useless to me dead. What are you waiting for?"

She thought about it for a second, and nodded.

"Carry these packs and hold on to my back," he commanded, passing her his packs.

"How? My hands are bound. I can't put them on."

Her captor produced a small knife, sawed off the twine around her wrists, and freed her. She donned on the packs and made sure that they were secure. After that, she positioned herself behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso. Here goes nothing.

"Make sure nothing falls off," he said, "including you."

Kaoru nodded, and the man bolted through water. Her mind was completely devoid of expectation, as she was focused on keeping her head up, and had a singular focus on the slice of land in front of them that slowly loomed closer.

About a half hour later, they finally reached shore. The stormy skies cleared up, the thunderstorm ceased, and blue skies greeted them just in time. Kaoru almost couldn't believe it…they were here, but where?

Both stragglers crawled slowly on to the beach and collapsed on white sand.

Yukishiro looked exhausted. His eyes fluttered. He whispered something.

Kaoru crawled her way toward him, dragging her wet salt-drenched body across the pristine white sand like a worm.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"Don't…" then his eyes closed, pulled into unconsciousness.

"What?" Kaoru repeated, shaking him. "What do you need to tell me?"

He managed to open his eyes for an instant.

"Don't try to run away, and don't try to kill me."

He passed out. Kaoru tried to stand up but exhaustion weakened her knees. She collapsed on the ground and drifted into a fitful sleep.

 

* * *

 

Kaoru opened her sand-encrusted eyes and saw an eagle.

The eagle circled, and found a nearby perch. It looked down at her with its head cocked sideways in disdain.

The look reminded her of Yukishiro.

Kaoru's senses kicked into gear in a sudden rush of activity, overwhelming her.

"Gah!" was her response to a throbbing headache. The hot sun overhead beat down on the scene. She was covered in sand like breaded pork katsu, and probably just as salty too. She sat up, slightly disoriented, and rubbed the sand off her face with her equally sand-encrusted hands—which made the process less efficient than it should have been.

She stood up and examined herself. Much to her surprise, her penny loafers managed to cling on to her feet throughout the journey. Her clothes were wet and itchy with salt water, and her wool skirt was uncomfortably heavy. She also didn't lose the humble blue ribbon that she wore in her hair. Four limbs, ten fingers… she was a bit sore but otherwise all right.

The girl took a quick look at the villain's body a few feet across from her. He

looked like a terrible mess. His breathing was light but steady; he wasn't a corpse yet.

She didn't feel too sorry for him, it was his fault for picking the fight in the first place.

She rummaged through the packs that Yukishiro asked her to carry. They had some sort of waterproof lining so the items were only damp at the very worst. The packs contained some useful items: a small axe, some matches, a flashlight, a first aid kit, and some rope. Of course, the longer pack held his Watou sword. Kaoru resisted the urge to smack him with the sword hilt for getting her into this mess in the first place. At least the bastard was well prepared.

Kaoru squinted up above. The sun was still up and close to the middle of the sky, so she likely hadn't slept for too long. Time to get cracking and figure out where in God's green earth she was.

What surrounded them was the Pacific Ocean on one side, a dense tropical forest on the other, and a shoreline that stretched out into infinity. There seemed to be no manmade structures in the vicinity or even a manmade pathway. It wasn't too promising, but it was time to explore.

Kaoru was about to reach for Yukishiro's Watou for protection when she hesitated. As a fellow swordsman, she knew that wielding someone else's sword without their permission was a big taboo, it was akin to being on the lawn with someone else's wife. That won't do. She retracted her hand and reached for the small axe instead. The girl rolled up her sleeves, took one last look around her, and headed into the towering lush wilderness.

The florae of the bush were a combination of familiar species found on Japan's southern islands and some fairly exotic ones like the overabundant palm tree. She came across a patch of healthy bamboo plants, and decimated a young one with her axe. The girl chopped it to a more manageable length and weighed it, throwing it from hand to hand. Voila, a makeshift bokken.

Now more confident with a weapon in each hand, Kaoru did some more exploring. She made sure to stick close along the shoreline because she feared losing her way. There were still no visible signs of human life or human development.

"Hello?" Kaoru shouted. An angry shriek scared her out of her wits and put her on her defensive stance, but she sighed in relief when she saw that it was only the irate eagle giving her a response. She shook her bamboo bokken at the eagle in warning, and the eagle looked only haughtier if it was possible.

At some distance, she spotted a wooden structure. It was a small shack, or at least it used to be one. It appeared to be built without awareness of the industrial revolution and indoor plumbing. She crept toward it and knocked on the door. The door opened with a creak out of its own volition.

"Hello?" she said, peeking in.

It would have been dark if it weren't for the two small crude windows on either side of the one-room structure. She felt like she stepped into a time warp. It was about as rustic as rustic could get. A thatched rooftop sat on top of planks of wood cut into irregular sizes which were all held up together by an impossible stroke of luck. A sad weathered stool sat by a moth-eaten desk, and there was no electricity to speak of. The place didn't even have the simple dignity of a traditional cottage with sliding shoji doors or tatami flooring bathed in soothing natural light. Instead, it was a place created by a man who had no concept of comfort or culture, and only understood the drive of sheer necessity. Kaoru wondered if Thoreau would even consider staying in such a place.

She walked in, and poked at portions of the dusty and cobwebbed room with her bamboo bokken. The place seemed abandoned and in the process of being eaten away by the elements. There were no real clues as to the identity of the previous resident other than the pile of old fishing tools at the corner of the room. No pictures, no skeletons in closets, no nothing. There wasn't even a closet, although there was a large chest.

Kaoru tilted her head at an angle to shield her nose from the layers of dust, and opened the chest.

Jackpot.

What lay inside the chest were two grubby looking but serviceable futons, complete with some coarse sheets. She had the right to sleep on decent sheets after having been kidnapped and having escaped from a plane crash on the same day. She had been through a lot with Kenshin and their ragtag crew of a former assassin, opium dealer, street-brawler, thief-child, and a ninja or two on occasion—but today's events had certainly taken the cake.

After some rearranging of furniture, Kaoru was satisfied with the loot she found. She journeyed her way back to the part of the beach where the rest of her supplies lay and, of course, the unconscious body of Enishi Yukishiro.

She nudged her captor's form with her toe. No response. He was the most miserable body she had ever seen short of being dead.

The young man seemed so dethroned from his position of rich criminal mastermind as his shirt was torn to shreds and he was missing one Chinese slipper. Bruises lined his face, sword cuts were liberally sprinkled across his arms and torso, and his left arm needed badly to be in a sling. He was going to get blisters from severe sunburn if he didn't get to shade soon. The only parts of him left intact were his round spectacles hanging from his shirt collar and his left yin-yang earring.

Kaoru felt proud of the amount of damage that Kenshin did to the jerk, but a part of her didn't want him to suffer any more pain.

What now? The girl was torn between leaving him dead, or to bandage him up—hoping that he wouldn't kill her while she slept. Sano would opt for the former, and Kenshin the latter.

Yukishiro had freed her from her bonds and carried her weight to shore, but he still kidnapped her and tied her up in the first place. His karma all totaled up with the property damage he inflicted, including destroying the Akebeko, resulted in a very negative number. The man was dangerous, and he could only get worse.

Before meeting Kenshin, Kaoru would have chosen the first option, but the little red-headed wanderer influenced her more than she'd care to admit.

Kenshin had a fantastic talent for befriending enemies, and becoming stronger for it. He'd reach a hand out to anyone, regardless of the bad blood between them or even when—it usually happened _during_ a fight. She feared that his outstretched benevolent hand would get lopped off one day, but it had been working so far. Maybe it would work with this jerk. Kenshin would be crazy enough to bandage him up, so Yukishiro would owe him one. Maybe Yukishiro would abort his vengeance quest, although that was a slim chance.

So that was what Kaoru Kamiya did with her captor. She bandaged him, cleaned him, and put his left arm in a sling. She wasn't quite sure if she did it all properly, but she watched Megumi fix up Sano enough times to guess that she covered the basics.

By the time she was done, the sun had set over the horizon, and the mosquitoes were starting to come out in packs like hungry wolves.

Yukishiro managed to stay unconscious throughout the operation, but it was time to wake him up. She wasn't going to haul his sorry ass all by herself, she'd done plenty already.

"Hey," Kaoru said, shaking him.

He didn't stir.

"HEY! Vengeance Guy. Wake up!" she slapped him.

Yukishiro floated back to consciousness, his eyes red from exhaustion and irritation from the saltwater.

"—Tomoe?" Yukishiro murmured in a daze.

Kaoru frowned. "Nope. Your sister isn't back from the dead. Just your prisoner." She hoisted his right arm over her shoulders. "I know you're hurt and all, but try to walk. I'm not going to carry you."

He had a hard time getting up, but he eventually got on to his feet. He limped his way forward while placing his weight on Kaoru. It was ridiculous to get leaned on by a person who was at least eight inches taller than her and almost twice her weight, but she somehow managed. Not like it was any easier for her since she was also carrying the packs. She led him to the dilapidated shack and let him collapse on a futon. He passed out in the position he landed.

Kaoru hauled the second futon to the other side of the shack, and hid Yukishiro's Watou sword beneath it… just as a precaution. She jumped on to it and curled in the fetal position, wishing all the mosquitoes away.

Fatigue and muscle strain overtook her, and she drifted off to sleep, grumbling.

_The bastard didn't even say thank you._


	2. Second Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. It's the 1940s and Enishi kidnaps Kaoru from the Kamiya dojo for his revenge against Kenshin. All goes according to plan until his private plane crashes in a storm-leaving them both on an inhabited island with nothing but their wits and each other.

Kaoru woke up salty and covered with dust—it was disgusting. She groaned from discomfort and dreaded the next adventure that the day would bring. She took a peek across the room where Yukishiro's sleeping form lay… or was supposed to be?

The spot was empty.

The girl quickly reached beneath her futon, feeling for the sword. The sword was gone.

She cursed and stormed out of the shack.

"Yukishiro!" she yelled, grabbing her makeshift bokken along the way. _God, not a confrontation this early, not yet._ "Yukishiro! You jerk, what are you planning now?"

"… I was about to ask you that."

She whipped around and faced the sharp edge of the Watou sword. Had she been a couple of millimetres closer, it would have cut the bridge of her nose. She saw the Chinese detailing on the sword hilt reflected on the blade. Yukishiro held the sword, looking down at her through his puffed eyelids.

Fear threatened to crawl up her spine like a stealthy spider, but anger knocked the pesky beast off. "So is this how you show thanks? No wonder why life in the underworld is so dismally short."

"Can it, girl," he spat. "Cooperate and it'll only get better from here. Drop the stick, not like it would help you any."

Kaoru tightened her hold on her bokken.

A corner of his wide mouth twisted in derision. "Drop it."

She dropped it while glaring at him, refusing to break his gaze.

"Now kneel, and keep your hands over your head," he said.

She was outraged, but he motioned with his sword for emphasis. She knelt down to the sand and held up her hands behind her head in the form of angry fists. Her nails dug into her palms.

"Good girl," he said with a smile, as if he were praising a well-behaved Pekingese.

"I have a name," she growled.

"Does it matter?"

She was stunned, but her indignation charged on. "Where were you taking me? What do you want from me?"

The man stared right through her in a way that made her feel uneasy. His eyes had the same manic look he gave her right before the kidnapping—it was how she imagined staring into the eyes of a hungry wolf.

"I was taking you to an island prison, just not this one," he coolly replied, sheathing his sword.

"Now where did that go wrong?"

"Hush. I do the talking."

"Hey mister, you can't just ta—" Yukishiro shoved his palm over her mouth. His hand tasted foul and salty.

"While things haven't gone according to plan," he continued, "I'm still your captor. I talk; I give orders. You listen; you obey. Do you understand our division of labour?"

She glared at him with such fiery hatred in her eyes that it surprised her that he hadn't yet burst into flames.

"I take that as a yes." He withdrew his hand and she bit her lip to keep herself from gnawing his fingers off. That wouldn't help the situation.

He began to pace around the vicinity as the early morning light streamed in between the shoots of the bamboo grove around them, on occasion shining a strange halo around his shock of pale hair. The man seemed too self-satisfied, and Kaoru hated his easy confidence.

"We are on an island in the Pacific, south of Japan," he began. "There are over a thousand islands directly south of Japan, not to mention the rest of Southeast Asia. The plane was driven off-course, and we could be anywhere right now."

His hand reached for something at his side, as if about to pull an item out of a coat pocket, but drew it back. He likely realized that he had no coat and only a torn shirt.

"My men should be searching for us right now," he said, "but the search area is several thousands kilometres wide, we could be off the shores of Singapore for all they know, or for all I know."

"They won't find us without our effort," Yukishiro continued. "Therefore, you should cooperate with me regardless of your feelings against me—it increases your chances of survival. Getting off this piece of rock should be your first priority—everything else is secondary. Do you follow me?" His intelligent eyes narrowed as he focused on her reaction.

She swallowed what little saliva she had left. She gave a nod.

"I know that there is an incentive for you to take control of the situation," he continued calmly, "such as with this," he gazed at his sword. "While you may earn some short term gains of disarming me, or perhaps even injuring or killing me to gain your precious freedom—you damage your chances of escape. What if you get injured, or attacked by some wild animal? What then? Would you then wither away in this deserted isle all alone?"

The girl didn't reply. Her arms started to hurt as she kept them up.

"I know that you are a feisty girl," the villain drawled, "and you likely have silly beliefs, due to Battousai's saccharine influence, but I believe that you have a reasonable amount of judgment in that thick head of yours. Don't disappoint me."

She knew he was right, and she hated it. She hated the creep.

"What's the deal then?" she demanded.

"You can lower your hands now, girl," he said. Kaoru let her hands drop but remain fisted. Before she could react, Yukishiro took several quick steps toward her and grabbed her shoulders—their faces only a sword's thickness apart.

"First," he whispered, stealing her oxygen with his proximity, "promise to cooperate. Second, don't bother to escape. Third, don't try to play tricks on me. I didn't claw my way up the Chinese underground being easily duped. Understand?"

Kaoru sighed. "So what now, chief?"

 

* * *

 

Yukishiro's definition of cooperation was that she did all the heavy work while he sat around and 'recuperated'.

Kaoru grumbled complaints as she cut through the tropical bush by herself, tasked with the search for a clean water supply, carrying a number of hollowed coconut shells over her back. She used her bamboo bokken as a hiking stick, Yukishiro returned it to her just in case she encountered some hostile wildlife. She hoped there was nothing on this island larger or angrier than a chicken.

She took a quick look around her; she was still surrounded by tall trees and bushes with the occasional exotic flower. Had she been here before? Kaoru shook her head; she was never good with directions. Her current company, cunning mastermind that he was, had neglected to pack a compass. She trudged on, keeping her ears open for the sound of running water.

The forest was claustrophobic at times as low branches obscured her view and got caught on her already worn outfit. Her penny loafers weren't the most suitable footwear for the rainforest floor with its layers of vines and twisting roots. She tripped several times but was thankful that she had light feet, a twisted ankle was the last thing she needed right now. While the terrain varied, it was not impossibly steep.

After a good half hour hike, she came across a clearing where there was a steady stream of water coming out of a short rock face—forming a shallow pool that trickled into a meandering creek. She tasted the stream. It tasted a little funny to her, but probably because she had grown used to the lead taste of the city water. She drank her fill.

She ignored her rumbling stomach, which had been expecting some form of a dinner or a breakfast for the past twenty hours. She had her fill of coconut meat this morning, but her stomach wasn't appeased. _Take one thing at a time_, at least one of her needs could be satisfied now.

Kaoru filled up the hollowed coconut shells, hoping that the water was enough for the day so she wouldn't have to make a return trip. She wondered if the strange fisherman who built the shack came here everyday for water. She sat by the pool to rest, and gazed down at her own reflection. The reflection that stared back at her was so grimy that she couldn't stand to look at it.

She removed her clothes and stepped into the shallow pool, scrubbed the sand and salt off her skin, and straightened out her matted hair. She rinsed her clothes and let them dry out in the sun. She closed her eyes and let her body float in the water, snatching a moment’s peace.

Kaoru thought of home. She thought about how things were supposed to be—the daily routine that she sometimes dreaded, but now wanted to seek refuge in. She was supposed to wake up to breakfast that Kenshin prepared, and she’d bolt it down or stuff it in her purse while she ran to catch the streetcar. Arriving to work just on time, she’d tie her hair back, and don on a cap. She’d then to take her place on the assembly line with all the other women with _Nippon Columbia_ embroidered above their left shirt pocket—manufacturing radio sets for the modern Japanese family, one wire connector at a time. Life in the city wasn’t perfect, but it was her life.

Kaoru’s thoughts wandered back to Kenshin, but she shut them out. There was nothing good to be gained out of wishing that Kenshin were here.

Things didn't get any better when she found her way back to camp. After lugging several litres of water back, which took a while because she got lost a few times, Yukishiro immediately tasked her to chop up some firewood. He made a spectacle out of his injury while pestering her with instructions on how to use the axe.

"Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, your balance is off. You're leaning too far back," Yukishiro said, shadowing her.

Kaoru wiped the sweat off her brow, and continued to hack away at a tree. She twisted her torso to the right and swung the axe, barely hitting her intended target.

"You have terrible aim. Don't you run a kendo school?"

"An axe and a bokken aren't held the same way," she replied, gritting her teeth. She wished he would just move out of the way. She swung again.

"You're still off balance."

She readjusted her pose, ignoring the soreness in her shoulders, and swung again. As Kaoru laboured on, she could hear Yukishiro pacing back and forth, making exasperated sounds. Who did he think he was? What made him think that being a crime lord made him the expert in bushwhacking and tree hacking? There were hardly any transferrable skills.

They went on like that for the better part of the afternoon. His strange accented Japanese was starting to grate her ears with all the nasal sounds and Chinese pitches. She dearly wanted to correct his pronunciation but that was probably not a good idea. He seemed to have an unlimited energy for nitpicking. Her patience wore thin.

"Yukishiro," Kaoru finally said. "I'm not one of your brutes. I don't lop off objects for a living. No matter how much you want to micromanage me or boss me around, it's not going to get any better."

"You could try harder," he coldly replied.

"Or you could try it yourself!" she sputtered.

The man looked peeved but made no response. He sat back while she continued to do her work. Kaoru could still feel his eyes on her back; she did her best to ignore it.

"This is aggravating," he sighed. "I can't watch this, I'd rather figure out those old rusty fishing tools. I'll likely do a better job fishing with one hand than you chopping wood with two."

"Fine," Kaoru muttered.

 

* * *

 

Kaoru pierced through fish flesh with a skewer, thankful that she never had to work in a fish cannery.

She had gutted several pounds of tuna with Yukishiro's pocketknife. She hoped that she had cut enough wood to cook them all. They had a preposterous amount of fish on hand, and they were not likely able to eat them all before they spoiled. She never had gutted so much fish in her life before. The man probably caught more fish than necessary just to rub it in.

She shook her head as she began to cook the first batch of fish over the fire. Yukishiro was taking a nap on a log a few feet away. He had been dozing off ever since he threw his net full of fish at Kaoru. What a jerk. At least she was able to use the lighter; God only knew how long it would have taken her if she had to make fire the survivalist way.

Her muscles ached, and her fingers stung with cuts from removing fish bones. At least her empty stomach would find some solace tonight.

Kaoru rotated the fish, and observed her captor. She couldn't decide what to think of him. He was a dangerous man, and he made a point of asserting his control over her today. She was wary of him, but she didn't feel seriously threatened by him.

She was worried for Kenshin's safety, and the safety of everyone else close to Kenshin. Yukishiro made it clear that he wasn't too concerned about getting other people involved in his vengeance scheme, so long as it hurt Kenshin. So why was she not more afraid of him?

Maybe because it was whenever he wasn't trying to boss her around, he just seemed melancholy. Gazing at the sleeping man across from her, Yukishiro looked uncharacteristically vulnerable, with his worries etched upon his face. He reminded her of a neurotic old man with his white hair, even though he couldn't be beyond his mid-twenties. He carried an air of deep sorrow that he hid behind his anger, much like how Kenshin hid his behind cheerfulness. It was hard for her to see this man as a serious threat when he looked like that, and he was just as dirty and lost as she was.

Yukishiro's eyes fluttered open, and he yawned silently. He donned his glasses.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

The skewer of fish that she held on her hand was charred black on one side.

"Keeping us alive," she replied.

"Not with that!" he snapped, racing over and snatching the skewer from her hands. He rotated the skewer and examined the rest of the impaled specimens, looking disappointed.

"I can't salvage this," he declared. "Do you normally cook like this?"

Kaoru looked at him in puzzlement. "Yes."

"No wonder Battousai is so thin," he sneered. "From now on, you're not to touch anything that requires cooking." He reached for the second skewer and began to roast it over the fire.

She was insulted. She couldn't take it anymore. "You should be glad that I didn't decide to kick your corpse back into the ocean, you pig! Instead I patch you up, find shelter, get water, make fire, and even cook for you—and all you can do is complain? Not even a single 'thank you'? You must have forgotten the lessons that your mum taught you… acting like an ungrateful child!"

A grave look came over Yukishiro's face. "I never knew my mother," he said tonelessly. "All I had was Tomoe."

"Well you were probably a bratty kid!" Kaoru sputtered. "I pity any woman that had to raise you!"

"Don't you dare talk to me about Tomoe!" Yukishiro flared, whipping himself around to face her. "You know nothing about her! I'd hold my tongue if I was you, girl."

Threats with words didn't work on Kaoru, they usually provided the opposite intended effect. She only got angrier.

"Yeah?" Kaoru countered. "Or what?"

"Or you might get your pretty face rearranged," he replied in deadpan.

Kaoru stood up in fury, "And you're classy enough to raise a hand against a woman? You're worse than I thought!"

She grabbed a hold of a skewer and was about to raise it in defense when she was suddenly struck with the image of her dueling a one-armed Yukishiro with skewers and the occasional well-aimed tuna as a projectile weapon. Two humans locked in the heat of battle in the thick of the tropics over a woman who died more than a decade ago; the victor free to roam the green labyrinth alone until succumbing to monsoon storms and insect bites. Tomoe wouldn't smile down on that.

Kaoru began to giggle until she doubled over in laughter. She saw the confounded expression on Yukishiro's face and only laughed harder, laughing so hard that she was in pain.

Yukishiro shook his head and sat down, returning to his cooking duties. "You're crazy."

Kaoru wanted to reply but couldn't, she was still too busy laughing. She eventually recovered and retrieved the skewer of fish that she was going to arm herself with, dusted off the sand, and handed it over to Yukishiro.

"What an odd couple we make," she commented as she settled down by the fire. "Two strangers going at each other's throats while we're lost in the middle of nowhere and struggling to put food in our bellies. We're _both_ crazy."

She looked to Yukishiro to see if he had any insight to add. He had none, not even a disapproving look. He just roasted the fish in stony silence, avoiding eye contact. She quieted down and stared at the fire, feeding it occasionally with firewood.

Yukishiro handed a skewer of fish to her. Unlike her original skewer, this one was cooked evenly, and it smelled good. "Thank you," she said, accepting it. It tasted like the most heavenly thing in her life, although she was not sure if it was the hunger talking or her captor was a competent cook. It didn't matter; it was something to be savoured.

She savoured her fish, and complimented Yukishiro's cooking. He answered with a grunt, and that was the end of their civil conversation. She normally couldn't stand silence with its proximity to loneliness, but she didn't mind it tonight. They ate their meal in silence, enveloped by the cool ocean breeze and the chirps of the crickets of the evening. Kaoru was lost in thought, almost forgetting about Yukishiro's presence.

"I'm swimming back to the plane in three days," he said quietly.

"What?"

"There's an emergency radio on the plane. The plane sunk but it could be stuck on a large coral reef close to the surface—there's a lot of those in the Pacific."

"You can't be serious," Kaoru interjected. "You have one arm, the plane could be anywhere, and the radio probably wouldn't work. You plan to radio from the inside of a waterlogged plane?"

"Quiet. Let me finish," Yukishiro said. "There is a chance that the radio wouldn't work, but I'm willing to risk it. It's portable, state-of-the-art, and better than the primitive systems that the Japanese police use, much less the Chinese. My organization paid good money for them, so damn it all to hell if I can't use it now."

"Your arm?"

"I'll recover. Three days."

Kaoru shook her head in disapproval. "Wouldn't it be safer to light some fire signals at strategic parts of the island? Get some passing boats or planes to investigate?"

"No! I can't risk being found by just anyone, and don't get any funny ideas about getting rescued to get rid of me. I'm getting the radio to call my men and that's that."

She sighed. "Well I guess that's your plan, chief. So until then…?"

"So until then, you will continue to retrieve supplies, and I will handle food duties. You may collect edible fruits if you like."

In other words, she was to keep his thankless body alive. Great.

"Alright, alright. I'm cooperating. Not like I can do anything else," Kaoru replied. She stood up, straightened out her crumpled skirt, and began to make her way back to the shack.

"And Kaoru—" Yukishiro said.

"What?"

"I won't be opposed to you cleaning out the little shanty that you found. The futons could be… aired out a bit."

Kaoru wanted to give the man another tongue-lashing, but she was tired. "I'm not playing house with you, Yukishiro," she said. "I do my bit of keeping us alive, and that's it, okay? Don't take advantage of my kindness. You're lucky that you're not stuck with someone less generous."

With that as a parting comment, she made her way back to shack and untied the ribbon in her hair, collapsing on to her futon. Dust flew all around her from the impact.


	3. Third Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU. It's the 1940s and Enishi kidnaps Kaoru from the Kamiya dojo for his revenge against Kenshin. All goes according to plan until his private plane crashes in a storm-leaving them both on an inhabited island with nothing but their wits and each other.

The night was alive.

Kaoru struggled to fall asleep, but the buzzing of the mosquitoes and the chattering of the wild put an end to that effort. The jungle was noisy—it was nosier than Tokyo at night because at least the streetcars stopped running after ten. The jungle teemed with life; one of its inhabitants was a renegade mynah bird, intent on reproducing all the other sounds. She swore that she was going to roast that bird alive.

Since she had spent the last half hour staring at the wall, her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. She took a peek across the room to see if Yukishiro was awake. He was facing away from her.

"Yukishiro?" she whispered between intermittent crows.

No response.

"Yukishiro?" She was sure that he was awake; he was already giving off that Howard Roark-like aura of animosity. Conversation with him was just as pleasant.

She tried again. "Enishi?"

"What?" he snapped.

"I can't go to sleep. Do you have any suggestions?"

He didn't turn around. "Craft a bow in the morning."

She stared at his back as the cries of the bird echoed on. She was exhausted and weary, and neither she nor Yukishiro would find sleep anytime soon. Might as well try to get some conversation out of him.

"Do you know how to make a bow?" she asked.

No response.

"Have you hunted animals before?" she tried, desperate for any conversation.

No response.

Kaoru sighed. If he wasn't going to talk, she was going to talk.

"I've never hunted any animals before," she began. "But there was this one time, when my dad was still alive, he brought home this package of bear meat, wrapped in wax paper. Apparently he won it off a friend who just came back from Hokkaido, but neither of them knew how to prepare it. So he—"

"Do you know what I lived off when I escaped to Shanghai?" Enishi interrupted.

"What?"

"Corpses."

She froze. He couldn't be serious. "You mean—?"

"Human, dog, whatever. Corpses."

Kaoru was horrified. She was speechless.

"To survive in Shanghai as a child, I had to compete with the other street rats, the opium addicts, and the deserters that crawled their way to Shanghai's streets," he continued tonelessly. "I drank from mud puddles and ate anything more dead than me."

She said nothing. A squawk filled in the silence.

"So Kaoru," he said, "spare me your inane conversation, because it won't help us any."

She spent the rest of the evening in troubled thought, until the clamour ceased and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sleep made her more exhausted than the day before, if it were possible.

Kaoru could barely get herself out of bed, and her arms and legs were sore from yesterday. Yukishiro was already up before her. She heard him pace outside the shack, moving things around. She wouldn't be surprised if he was moving piles of wood to the other end of the campsite, pausing to scrutinize it a bit, just to move it all the way back. One must imagine Yukishiro happy.

Despite the humidity, she lifted up the sheets over her head in an effort to make herself invisible. If she could think hard enough, she could imagine that she was back in her room with Kenshin doing laundry in the courtyard. She would slumber on or meditate in deep thought until Yahiko would burst in and say—

"Wake up!" Yukishiro said, barging in.

She squeezed her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.

"I don't have time for this," he snapped.

_I don't have energy for you_, she thought.

"Any time with sunlight is precious time to take advantage of," he said, and yanked the sheets from her.

Kaoru groaned. "Now? Really?"

"Survival is our priority, and it is best if we prepare supplies ahead of time."

"Surely there are supplies remaining?"

"The food spoiled overnight, you didn't cut enough wood, and the water is almost out."

"So you want me to get wood and water for several days worth?"

"Precisely."

So he was being serious.

"Would you help me?" she asked, shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight that streamed in through the window.

"I would do the work if _he_ didn't do this to me," he said, gesturing towards his injuries.

_You started it_, she wanted to retort. She examined him—he didn't look too bad. His bruises were ugly but starting to heal, and the swelling in his eyes had diminished to reveal a handsome face. He still couldn't use his left arm, but it wasn't like the muscles in his right arm had atrophied. "But you still have one good arm. Maybe you could—"

"I need to conserve my strength in order to get us out of here. I would be happy to switch roles—if you are capable of swimming that distance."

Right now, she wasn't capable of walking across the room.

"So what are you going to threaten me with?" she sighed.

He cocked his head. "No wood, no water—no fish."

Her stomach made an audible sound.

"Hand me the axe," she said, stumbling out of bed.

Chopping up firewood today was even more labourious. It was taking her three times as long to do the work and Yukishiro wanted her to cut three times the amount—incase a tropical storm could sabotage their activities. He resumed his station as the all-knowing taskmaster, sniping at her while he lounged back and played the hapless patient. Hapless patient her ass—he needed to be at least a head short to be as harmless as a saltwater crocodile.

Her muscles were sore and bruised, and it hurt to clench the axe's handle. She gritted through the pain and worked at a pace that minimized the torture. She rested between swings—at least until her shoulders stopped screaming.

"You can't scare it into cutting itself, Kaoru," he quipped.

Right. So what about those fire signals?

She swung the axe.

"Maybe using force will help."

Fire signals need to be built in a clearing, so planes can get a good view of them.

She swung the axe again, almost falling back.

"Your sense of balance is progressing quite nicely."

She resisted the urge to swing the axe at him.

"At this rate, the job will be done in record time."

Building three fires in the same area should get more attention.

"Have you been practicing?"

So how would she hide it from Yukishiro? What would he do if he were to find out? Would it be worth the risk?

"Your competence amazes me."

The dam holding back her anger broke and it gushed out in a flood. Without a second thought, Kaoru threw aside the axe and launched herself at the devil.

She saw his eyes widen in surprise as she tackled him, targeting him with a well-aimed fist. Most of her blows missed as her attack propelled them down a slope, and foliage gleefully wrapped itself around the duo like dried seaweed. Their roll down the slope did not stop Kaoru in her efforts to hurt the bastard, but he had lightning fast reflexes to compensate for his injured arm. They crushed flowers and hit trees along the way—but the two were occupied in their stalemate battle: Kaoru—angry but fatigued, and Enishi—insulted but crippled.

They came to a halt when they slammed into a formidable tree. She was muddy, bruised, and disoriented, but continued to aim at any blur of white within her field of vision. Her fists mostly hit air, tree bark, and his blocking arm. Kaoru had Yukishiro pinned against the ground—with one hand on his shirt collar and the other as raised fist. She looked down at him—he was panting heavily with his good arm raised instinctively in defense. He looked absurd with the leaves and petals in his hair. She likely looked just as absurd.

The burst of energy that came with her anger retreated, and muscle fatigue took its place. Also panting heavily, she returned to her senses, and realized that assaulting the man at her current state was futile and pathetic. She dropped her fist, and satisfied herself with grabbing his shirt collar with both hands.

"…you…are… _intolerable!_" she wheezed.

He stared up at her in bewilderment. She stared right back as she recovered her breath.

"Enishi… you can't treat me like this! I can't take it anymore!"

She released him from her grip, and ran her fingers through her tangled hair—dislodging some leaves in the process. She looked away for a second, collecting her jumbled thoughts.

Kaoru inhaled deeply. "I've been cooperative… _very_ cooperative. I want to get out of here as much as you do; we share that in common even though you're out to kill Kenshin."

He stared at her with no expression.

She blundered on. "I've done a lot and I can do a lot, but damn it, I'm only mortal! I'm tired, hungry, and my arms can barely lift anything up. If I keep on going like this, my body will collapse!"

He looked at her impassively.

"Could you help a little? Could you be less mean? Could you give a little?"

He continued to be unreadable.

"Damn it! Say something!" she cried, flustered and on the verge of tears.

Enishi nudged her off, and sat up. He looked away from her to assess the damage. He ruffled his hair, and picked leaves and insects off his clothes. He rubbed his eyes and adjusted his glasses. He turned toward her, and finally said:

"No fish."

* * *

Kaoru made her attempt at self-sufficiency by taking a shot at fishing; it was a worthy attempt if she could wretch herself free from him. Enishi let her use the fishing tools—he jeered that she probably couldn't catch a single fish with her two able hands. The bastard was right, which was why she was back to hauling water.

"On you go," he said, gesturing with his Watou sword.

"Is the sword really necessary?" Kaoru whined.

Enishi pushed up his glasses. "Before all else, be armed," he quoted.

Pity he didn't break both arms.

"So are you going to follow me around then?" she asked, slinging some empty coconut shells over her back.

He arched an eyebrow. "Why? Should I?"

"Maybe you could help carry something," she shrugged.

He snorted. "I thought we already had this conversation."

"It was worth a try," she sighed, and made through the wilderness alone.

She traveled back to the spring without a hitch, but things went downhill from there. Her legs and arms were numb from exhaustion, and the tropical heat beat down on her despite all the tree cover. She couldn't use her hiking stick because she needed both arms to carry all the litres of water. She stumbled onward through the dense jungle, tripping over the twisting roots that she avoided the day before. Terrain that was not too steep became a struggle to ascend. She spilled her load several times, requiring her to make return trips to the stream, contributing to her already foul mood.

Her disposition did not improve when she heard the sound of a passing aircraft overhead. She would have shouted and waved for its attention, but she knew that since she couldn't see it through the thick canopy, the pilot would not be able to see her either. She muttered a thousand curses.

As she staggered on, fueled by willpower more than anything corporal, she realized that she was lost. There wasn't a specific landmark that provided her this insight—she just felt a sense of wrongness. The forest began to thin out, and patches of clear sky were visible. The ground was thick with fallen branches and organic debris, so she had to be careful.

Kaoru couldn't find the way back, so she decided it was best to keep moving forward. It would be easier to get re-oriented once she was outside the thickest part of the wilderness. Her concentration wavered, but still, she kept one foot ahead of the other.

It seemed like she was about to enter an area that finally seemed familiar when the ground suddenly gave way. She was momentarily weightless until in panic, she reached up and grabbed hold of a large tree root. She felt her entire weight pull on her forearms as she swung uncontrollably, dangling over a chasm that appeared bottomless.

Kaoru shrieked with fright and tightened her grip on the tree root, but with its moisture it began to slide through her palms. She reached for the overhang of forest ground, but her hands reached no solid rock and decomposing material simply slipped through her fingers.

She fell down with a scream, only interrupted by her jaw painfully colliding with sheer rock face, and then her body resumed the freefall. As she saw the light retreat above, her mind spewed out all the memories she had formed over the past twenty-odd years of her life. Her mind evoked all the connections she had formed, the recent trials she had endured, the promising future she had cut short, and her love for the redheaded wanderer.

Her body hit the ground with a crack. Her form lay awkwardly on top of a pile of fallen branches and organic debris. She stared at nothing. Blood began to pour from her nostrils and lips.

She lay still.

Kaoru shuddered and began to weep.

The sound of her own crying sounded alien to her, as the fluid in her throat made thick gurgling sounds. This realization only added more fuel to her sorrow. She cried until an instinctive drive compelled her to scream for help—and she screamed for the man she knew best.

After sometime passed, she gained enough cognition to understand that she had been screaming for the wrong man after all. She had been calling for Kenshin.

_Stupid girl, Kenshin is not here to save you._

Kaoru examined herself. While she was bruised and battered, she appeared to have no broken bones. She pushed herself up and limped for a few paces. She coughed and her tongue still tasted blood. She leaned against rock, and stared up. The wall of rock that surrounded her framed a clear blue cloudless sky. Judging from the amount of light that beamed in, there was probably a forty-foot distance between her and the surface.

Leaning against rock, her breath steadied and she gathered her wits. While Kenshin wasn't around, she knew one man who was.

"Enishi!" she shouted. "ENISHI!"

Her voice echoed, sounding more like herself instead of the gurgling perversion she heard earlier. She screamed his name with gusto. She paused and waited to hear movement from the surface, craning her neck up to see if there was a speck of white in the distance.

Nothing.

She alternated between yelling and listening, growing impatient. Her throat became parched and her voice grew hoarse. Enough time had passed that the position of the sun changed noticeably, and if she remained idle for any longer, it would be too dark for her to see the rock that surrounded her. At that point, she resolved that she could depend on no man to rescue her; instead, she had to save herself.

Kaoru wiped her bloody hands on her shirt, rolled up her sleeves, and began to climb. Her first attempts were met with failure as she lost her grip on the rock. The longer she stayed in one spot, the more her hands sweated, and the more her grip loosened. She fell down several times, bruised in ego and in body, but her spirit flared.

She realized that she would have more success climbing up if she were to plan her route up beforehand instead of clambering up blindly, figuring out the footholds as she went along. She advanced on her ascent, but miscalculated the depth of a handhold. Her fingertips trembled and shook with a spasm, and she slid back to the bottom.

Kaoru panted heavily, rubbing her aching joints. She bit her lip and almost cried in desperation when she heard the sound of aircraft above.

She stared up and saw not one but six airplanes in a V formation cutting across the sky. Their perfect geometry against the clear blue sky made them look triumphant, lending further contrast to her plight. She didn't care whose planes they were or what their mission was—all she cared about was getting out of this pit and this island alive. She cursed Enishi and his schemes. Enishi Yukishiro was the cause of all her problems, and she was going to build that goddamn fire signal and be rid of him.

Her resolve grew as she continued to climb up the rock. She fell down several times, she felt lightheaded, but she eventually reached a point where she knew she was going to make it. With a final pull, she crawled her way back to the surface while coughing. She crouched on the ground; the blood pounded in her ears and her vision was blurry. After a time, she saw a pair of feet in front of her.

"My hero," she said bitterly to Enishi.

"Are you hurt?"

"I almost died, you asshole," she rasped.

"Shit. Did you fall down that pit? How did you get out?"

"_I climbed out_. It took a while."

He looked at her in his inscrutable manner. "You're bloody. C'mon, let's get you out of here." He pulled her up with his good arm. "Can you walk?"

She took a few wobbly steps before he caught her.

"Lean on me," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "I'll bring you back to camp." Kaoru didn't like the idea of leaning on him, but she wanted to get out of the woods as soon as possible.

They limped their way slowly through the forest while Kaoru felt off balance. Everything was spinning except for the steady pillar that was Enishi. He gave her clear instructions on navigating through their path, and awkwardly carried her over the bigger obstacles—helping simmer down her anger.

Her vision began to steady, but when she thought everything was in the upswing, she vomited out the fish they had the night before and some more blood as the cherry on top. They stopped for a bit, and when it seemed like she had nothing left to vomit out, they continued until they arrived at the shack and she collapsed on her futon. She had never felt so miserable before. She heard Enishi leave while he cursed in a Chinese dialect, but he returned and knelt at her side.

"Sit up and rinse out your mouth," he said as he held up a husk filled with water. She gladly took it, not realizing how thirsty she was until he offered it to her.

"How's your breathing? Do you still taste blood?" he asked calmly.

She stopped for a minute to observe herself. Her heartbeat was no longer racing, and her breathing felt mostly normal except for the smell of blood remaining in her nose. She could no longer taste blood.

"I'm fine, blood's not flowing anymore," she replied.

"What happened?" Enishi said. Kaoru noted that this was the first time that she heard no trace of hostility in his voice. She found the sound of it strangely reassuring.

"I was exhausted, hauling all that water." She realized that she lost all her day's work, but continued on, and told him about the fall and the torturous climb. She didn't mention that she glimpsed the passing planes or that she screamed for Kenshin.

"Stay still," he said. She felt a wet cloth pressed against her lips, it stung.

Enishi gently cleaned her face. Kaoru could see him eye-to-eye, and realized that they had never been in such close proximity before other than the time when he was threatening her. Their closeness made her nervous and she forced her hands to remain still at her sides. She observed the planes of his angular face, and she could count the number of lashes that lined his half-lidded eyes. She searched his pupils to see if there was a glimmer of humanity hiding in the abyss. He didn't return her gaze since he was so preoccupied on wiping her chin.

A bright light painfully shone in her eyes and she closed them shut.

"I have to check your pupils. Keep your eyes open or I'll open them for you."

Kaoru noted that everything that he said was phrased like a threat even though it was likely not intended.

She tried to pry her eyes open but couldn't, the light was just too painful. He placed a coarse hand on her cheek and she flinched away on reflex.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "I know what I'm doing."

Kaoru gave a tired nod and let him resume his examinations. Having someone else lift up your eyelids was an unusual sensation; she didn't think she had experienced that before. He flashed the light in her eyes and asked her to follow it. When he was satisfied, he proceeded to ask her to open her mouth, and examined her with his hand on her chin and a callused thumb brushed against her lip. He was leaning in so close that her breath was caught in her throat and her heart pounded.

"The good news is that you didn't lose any teeth," Enishi said, putting away the flashlight and moving away from her. She exhaled in relief at his distance, although her skin still tingled from his touch. "You had a concussion from the fall, but you'll recover. I've been through worse. Just drink more water and get some rest."

"Who made you village doctor?" Kaoru asked cheekily, recovering from the encounter.

"My line of work has its hazards. It's useful to know which men I can salvage," he said flatly.

"Versus which men you can expend?"

Enishi raised an eyebrow at her comment but shrugged. "If the situation calls for it. Fortune is a fickle woman—she doesn't show mercy just because you earned it."

She was disturbed by his cynicism, but not surprised.

"What about you, chief? When do you show mercy?" she asked, trying to keep her thoughts away from the nausea threatening to flood back.

He paused for a second, and then replied, "When it makes sense."

Kaoru mulled it over, but it didn't help unlock the enigma.

"Maybe you're not such a monster after all," she conceded.

Enishi stepped toward her, cradled her face, and touched her lip with a finger. The room spun, she wasn't sure if it was the nausea, Enishi's proximity, or both. She was surprised, but she realized that he just missed a spot of blood. She stared at him, and she fuzzily thought that he was attractive, and in her delirium wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

"Good," Enishi replied. "I don't hate you, and I don't want you to hate me. However, you should still fear me." The last words snapped her out of her daze. He withdrew his hand and removed his undershirt, exposing a lean and sculpted torso. The blood drained from her face.

"Take your shirt off," he said, throwing his at her.

"_W-what?__!_" she sputtered.

"You don't want to sleep in that, do you?" he said, gesturing at her blouse—which she realized was soaked red.

"Get some rest," he said softly with a gentle squeeze on her arm, and left.

She clutched her head and moaned from the nausea that returned in full force. Her head throbbed and her thoughts reeled. What did she just think about Enishi?

She removed her blouse and put Enishi's shirt on. It was too big it but it covered what needed to be covered. Kaoru laid down and fell into a deep slumber. She dreamt of airplanes in V formations and the fire signal that she was going to build tomorrow.

Regardless of who Enishi was, she wasn't going to get dragged down with him.


	4. Fourth Day

She woke up with a pounding headache and Enishi at her side.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

Her body ached all over—it seemed like today it registered the full punishment of the fall.

Kaoru groaned and clutched her head. "Like a truck hit me."

"Sit up," he ordered, holding up a husk of water.

She took it and almost choked, suddenly too aware of his upper body. His left arm was still in the sling but everything else was exposed. He had an athletic build and had muscles everywhere—sinewy ones wrapped around his arm, taut ones stretched over his broad shoulders, and pronounced ones spread across his abdomen. The sweat didn't help.

"Have you vomited?" Enishi inquired.

Kaoru gulped. "No."

"Good. Try not to get worse."

"Useful advice."

She glanced down at herself, and noted that the undershirt could be thicker with a higher collar.

"Erm, thanks for the shirt."

"You're welcome."

This was new.

"Some fish?" he offered.

"Sure."

Kaoru tried to chew, but couldn't. Her tender teeth throbbed with pain. She sighed in disappointment. So no fish after all.

"I'll get some coconuts. You need something."

She nodded and he left. The room began to sway.

She tried to support herself with her arms, but they shook uncontrollably—making her collapse back onto the futon. She noted that her fingers also cut and raw. She hoped that they wouldn't interfere with her job back at the Nippon Columbia factory, since she had to assemble small and finicky radio parts. She probably would have to explain being away from work first.

She heard hacking sounds outside. Her stomach growled.

Kaoru slowly sat up. Her thoughts wandered back to Enishi's physique but she shut it out, willing herself to think of Kenshin's instead. Strangely enough, she couldn't picture his in detail—he was a modest man and she only saw him in states of undress when he was in a swordfight or sprawled over a stretcher. Blood and bandages covered most of it. Enishi's sister, Tomoe, had seen a_ lot_ more of Kenshin since they were married for a short time—but Kaoru didn't want to think about that.

Enishi returned. She adjusted her shirt and pulled the collar up.

"Try this," he said, and handed her a coconut.

She accepted it and drank her fill. She could eat bits of the coconut meat with less agony. Her eyes wandered back to his exposed flesh, which was covered by a number of scars. One scar along his side looked particularly vicious—it spanned from his waist to his armpit.

"What happened here?" she asked. She touched the scar and traced its length.

He flinched and stilled her fingers. "It's a long story."

She blushed at the contact and withdrew her hand.

There was a long pause.

"Well there's no point in running you ragged," Enishi finally said. "Rest up—I'll take care of everything."

"What about your arm?"

"It's better. I just won't haul too much weight with it."

"Can I see?"

He paused. "Alright."

She undid the bandage's knot at the base of his neck; he twitched when her fingers brushed against his nape. She gently held his arm and extended it, examining it. The swelling had disappeared.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked, lightly pressing on his forearm.

"A bit sore, but it'll be fine," he asserted. She couldn't tell if he was downplaying the pain considering the complaints he made in the past two days. She decided to take his word at face value.

"It would have taken me weeks to heal from the same injury. You heal incredibly fast. It's almost… superhuman." She rotated his hand and studied it up close.

"Every little bit helps," he replied.

Kaoru spread his hand open, checking for flexibility. As she touched his callused palm, she thought it was funny that she was now treating the same hand that chloroformed her. She wondered what his long fingers were up to when they weren't busy inflicting violence or committing criminal work. Maybe they held a scissor and snipped bonsai trees, or sliced delicious taro cakes, or turned the pages of _Crime and Punishment_—although he probably hadn't read that yet.

Enishi cleared his throat audibly.

"Oh. I guess I'll give back your hand now," she said sheepishly, letting him go.

He stood up and pushed up his glasses. "My arm will be fine, it will be good enough for the swim tomorrow."

"Is that wise?" Kaoru voiced. "I don't want you to reinjure yourself."

"It's best for us to act quickly. Our fortunes may soon turn for the worse," he stated grimly. "Do you need anything else?"  
Kaoru thought about it and shook her head.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I'll be gone for at least three hours."

"Yeah. I'll be alright."

"I'll check on you later. Rest, and again—try not to get worse."

She smiled faintly. "Got it, chief."

With a brusque nod, Enishi left.

She collapsed back on to the futon in relief. Kaoru took a deep breath and stared at the thatched ceiling. Enishi's new behaviour was a welcome change, but his presence was still unsettling. Everything he was ran counter to Kenshin. Kenshin was pleasant, and Enishi was difficult. Kenshin's presence was like a gentle breeze, and Enishi's was like a tornado. Kenshin made her feel like all was right with the world, and Enishi made her feel like everything was wrong.

Also, she still didn't trust him.

She recalled the planes she spotted yesterday, and the feeling of rebellion that surged within her. It softened her to note that the villain was capable of sympathy, but who knew when his mood would turn?

Kaoru stood up slowly, leaning against the walls. The world reeled again. She felt weak, but she staggered her way out the shack, determined to build a fire signal.

 

* * *

 

Kaoru made her way slowly through the jungle with the axe, the lighter, and the bamboo stick—prodding suspicious-looking ground. She was lucky yesterday, but if she were to repeat a similar mistake—it would probably spell the end of her. She was on the search for a clearing that Enishi would be unaware of.

The cries of the eagles and the buzzing of the mosquitoes made her wince as her ears registered the sounds with increased magnitude—it was worse than any hangover she ever had. She felt every bump in the forest, her brain felt like it needed more cushioning than what her neck was able to provide.

She didn't know if a plane would spot her first fire signal, so it was best to place it in an area that was out of Enishi's way, so she could light it up at every opportunity. The path to the spring was covered with layers of tree cover, so he wouldn't be able to spot the smoke. He wouldn't be able to smell the smoke either if she built it far away enough.

She tripped over a large tree root and cursed. Kaoru stared up at the offending plant and was aghast to see that it was a colossal straggler fig. The straggler fig had wrapped its oversized skeletal fingers around a tall hardwood and crushed it; the trunk of the hardwood was all that was left.

Kaoru instinctively stepped back and fell in between the ribs of another living cage. Struck with a fit of claustrophobia, she thrashed around until she regained the sense to just crawl back out the way she came from. She gazed around and realized that she was surrounded by a circle of nine strangler figs, all foreboding with their twisted and knobby forms against the darkness of the jungle.

She shivered.

"Damn it Kaoru, stop being afraid of trees!" she muttered.

She stared down the trees and marched past them.

Kaoru encountered a series of bad omens. She came across a nest of four snakes, not one of them white; she accidentally stepped on a spider, and it was still morning; while clambering up difficult ground, a stream of hiccups attacked her and she was paranoid that she hiccupped a hundred times. Coupled with exhaustion and a few minor accidents, she thought of turning back, but stubbornness won the struggle. Besides, she was a person of action. She couldn't just sit around in the shack and navel-gaze, reflecting on questions like "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" Maybe Kenshin knows. She was happy to leave that to him and other crime-fighting do-gooders.

After some time, she reached a clearing. As her luck would have it, there were no fallen branches in the area and she had to cut firewood. Kaoru immediately set to work, her shoulders recalling their pains. She mused about how nothing in her life came easily. She had a dojo, but not enough students. She owned property but paying the bills was a constant struggle. The love of her life showed up on her doorstep one day, but he could just as easily take off. Just when it seemed like they fought everyone off, she got kidnapped. Of course she had to chop more wood.

A splinter lodged itself in her palm, and she cursed Enishi. She removed the splinter and hacked on. She wondered why she didn't rope up the devil on the first day, or keep her mouth shut about the fire signal on the second, or dominate him with the axe on the third. Subtlety and cunning never came naturally to her. She made a note that upon her return home, she would share a revelation with Kenshin: _You shouldn't extend a hand to your adversary; actually, you should kick them while they're down._

The air above made a rumbling sound.

Kaoru quickly threw the wood into a pile. The rumbling grew louder, and it was undeniably aircraft. She fumbled with the lighter, barely keeping her hands steady. The wind snuffed out the flame; she moved around and attempted again, shielding the flame. Just when she thought she had it, the lighter was slapped away from her hands.

"What the hell are you doing?" Enishi snarled.

He stepped between her and the axe. He looked terrifying as he glared from his imposing height. His hands were clenched and his frame cast a shadow over her crouched form.

Kaoru cursed. She was afraid, but she stared at him defiantly and said nothing.

The plane flew in view. Their eyes remained locked as the plane cut across the sky and slowly faded out, the sound of its machinery disappearing with it.

"Do you have nothing to say?" he thundered.

"Not to you," she hissed.

His fists trembled with rage but remained at his side. If he threw the first blow, she was ready to fight tooth and nail. Her hands itched for the wood but she knew he was watching.

"You disappoint me. The moment I show some kindness, you throw it at my face."

"I owe you nothing!"

Enishi kicked away the axe. He began to stalk around her. She remained still but her eyes followed him.

His lip curled. "After all I've done. I've provided you food, gave you my shirt—"

"—you kidnapped me!"

He cocked his head. "It's nothing personal."

"You fucking kidnapped me!"

"I have no interest in harming you. This is between me and Battousai."

Outraged, she stood up and marched towards him. His eyes widened in surprise.

"I am not some briefcase full of money or whatever you're treating me as," she seethed, stabbing his chest with a finger. "Don't forget, it's Kenshin who vowed not to kill. I don't have that problem if you get violent."

"So why haven't you killed me?" he demanded.

"Because I'm too bloody noble!" she spat.

Enishi began to speak but dropped it. He looked perplexed.

Kaoru exhaled and brought a hand to her face. "Maybe... it's just in my blood. The idea of using swords for protecting and all that junk. Clearly it's done me a world of good."

He unclenched his fists.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said plainly. "I didn't wish for you to get trapped here or fall into a pit."

"Well we're here now, so what are we supposed to do?"

Enishi paced about rubbed his temples. He stopped and cast her a deliberative look.

 

* * *

 

They weren't even a quarter of the way back when it began to drizzle.

Enishi scowled as he stared at the darkening skies. "This will be a full-blown storm in no time." He put away his glasses.

As they trekked downhill, the soil beneath them softened until it transformed into mud.

"We don't have enough time to travel back, do we?" Kaoru commented as she involuntarily slid down.

"We'll just have to improvise," he replied, grabbing her hand.

The two ran under tree cover as the ground liquefied beneath them, narrowly avoiding precarious precipices and mudslides. They were both drenched. Adrenaline overtook her fatigue and she sprinted alongside Enishi until he pulled her into a cave.

"I guess this'll do," she said as she looked around the twenty-foot wide cave. Its depth appeared to stretch out into an infinite void.

Enishi made no comment and took a peek outside. He cursed. He shoved her against a wall and flattened himself against her.

"What the—" she angrily began, but was interrupted by a swarm of bats that came rushing in. The air was thick with hundreds of flapping wings and the musky smell of wet fur. Kaoru winced as the sound of their thrashing echoed throughout the cave—assaulting her already vulnerable hearing. She covered her ears and willed for the onslaught to end.

Enishi overwhelmed her: the smell of the rain on his skin, his warmth that permeated through her soaked shirt, and his wall of muscle that encased her. It was a little uncomfortable, but she decided that leaning into him was less painful than the coarse rock that dug into her back. She wrapped an arm around his torso and held on. To her surprise, he circled an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She gritted her teeth and endured through the chaos.

The flurry eventually came to an end. A few stragglers wandered in, more wet and confused than the rest, but that was the end of it.

They both relaxed. She released him but he didn't release her. They looked at each other, and she noticed that he was gazing down at her in a peculiar way; there was a softness in his blue-green eyes, and she didn't know what to make of it.

There was a pregnant pause.

"You can let me go now," she remarked.

He regained his composure and stepped away.

She exhaled in relief and rubbed her sore back. "I take it we have neighbours, then?" she chuckled nervously.

Enishi slumped on the ground and appeared lost in thought. He made no reply.

The rain outside poured, flooding the entire landscape. Due to the cave's elevation, the water didn't rush in.

Kaoru walked into the cave, getting acclimatized to the darkness. The bats were all nestled quietly together on the ceiling, dripping water everywhere. A few groomed themselves, and some squealed at her, but the general consensus was that they didn't care much about the humans. She thought they would be cute if they didn't stink so much. She observed them for a bit and returned to Enishi.

"Thanks for—"

"Don't mention it," he snapped, avoiding eye contact.

She slid beside him. He stared at nothing particular, and she stared at nothing in particular. Kaoru twiddled her thumbs.

The rain continued to pour and the wind began to howl outside; she shivered. She thought of going deeper into the cave to escape the wind but she didn't want to get rained on by the bats.

She wanted Enishi's input. "Hey, what if—"

"If you suggest huddling for warmth—I'll throttle you."

Kaoru laughed. "I'm glad we share the same sentiment." She smiled at him, but he was not amused.

She curled up, attempting to expose as little surface area to the elements as possible. It wouldn't be so miserable if she had some conversation to distract her, but Enishi always had it in short supply. She peeked at him but he hadn't moved. She sighed and decided to not bother. Instead she listened to the bats shuffling and imagined what kind of conversations they had. Their conversations were probably livelier.

"My sister was a great cook," Enishi said softly.

Kaoru didn't understand why he brought up the subject, and said nothing.

"Her specialty was Edo cuisine," he continued. "I remember our house filling up with the smell of her cooking, with the seafood freshly purchased from the bay."

He looked nostalgic. He was far away—she could see in his eyes. A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I didn't realize how good I had it back then. I was a demanding child, and yet Tomoe exercised a divine patience that could be matched by no other.

"I always looked forward to mealtime. While our lives were chaotic and our means were humble, she always made sure to prepare our meals well. She was a stickler for tradition and did everything properly, regardless of the occasion.

"As a boy, I never saw the point—but now, I can see how much soul she poured into our fish broth, and how she shared over a thousands years of culture in the flick of a wrist."

Kaoru looked at him in wonder.

He shared a brief glance with her, and resumed.

"I didn't appreciate this at the time. In fact, it was a habit for me to taste the food while it simmered over the stove when she wasn't looking. I felt guilty whenever I did it, because I knew that it was an act of betrayal—but I did it anyway.

"As my sins mounted and my heart grew heavier, my fingers continued to snatch away what little order my sister tried to preserve in our lives. A bowl of broth would go missing; a sliver of fish would be absent; a piece of shrimp would disappear. I knew that eventually, Tomoe would catch me. The prospect filled me with dread—but I still continued.

"That was until one day, I sneaked into the kitchen as usual; there was a pot over the stove. I felt like it was an ominous day, so I had to be extra careful. Tomoe was just in the next room, and she could return at any minute.

"I was about to investigate the dish when I heard her move. In panic, I devoured whatever I could—only to spit it all out."

He grew silent.

"What was it?" Kaoru asked, intrigued.

Enishi paused.

"A bath for foot fungus."

Her eyes widened. "You mean… crushed garlic, licorice—"

"—and rubbing alcohol."

She saw his deadpan expression, and began to giggle.

"… she did that too," he grimaced.

Kaoru burst out in laughter. She howled hysterically as mirth threatened to burst her insides. She doubled over.

Enishi cracked a smile. "You laugh easily, don't you?"

She returned the smile as she recovered, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I guess so. It helps," she said as she sat beside Enishi.

He gave her a searching look.

"I… I lost my family too," Kaoru said. "I only had my dad, but I lost him in my teens—now all I have is his dojo and the utility bills," she chuckled. She looked at Enishi, but he didn't seem to find it funny, and continued on.

"Maybe that's why I pick up strays so easily—to fill that need for family. Yahiko was a thief, and I took him in as a student in my dojo, and gave him room and board. Despite his stubbornness and complaints, I never regretted my decision."

"What's he like?"

She pursed her lips then smiled. "He's got good judgment, but impulsiveness and impatience gets the better of him. He's loyal but doesn't act like it; usually he greets me with 'Good morning, old hag—'"

Enishi groaned. "Boys don't know what they're talking about. He'll regret it when he's older."

"I hope so," she sighed. "He's a hardworking and talented student, but I feel like we quarrel more than we train. But still, he's probably the most skilled ten-year old swordsman in Japan. He'll surpass me and then hopefully when he grows up—"

She looked at Enishi. "—he'll be as skilled as you."

He looked at her quizzically.

"Come of think of it," Kaoru reflected, "what you did as a kid sounds like what Yahiko would do."

He held her gaze.

"That's strange, because sometimes" Enishi paused. "…you remind me of my sister."

She looked at him but was at a loss for words. Instead, she averted her gaze to toward the stormy scene outside. The wind had died down, but it was pitch black and the rain continued to hail with no mercy.

"I guess we're spending the night here, huh?" Kaoru remarked.

"I was hoping that I'd get more rest for tomorrow," Enishi sighed.

"We're going to smell like bats in the morning."

"Could be worse."

She stretched. "Well chief, I'm going to rest now. Wake me up when it's clear."

He nodded.

Kaoru lay down on her side facing away from him.

"Goodnight, Enishi."

"Goodnight, Kaoru."

She closed her eyes listened to the sound of rain.


	5. Fifth Day

"It's clear," Enishi murmured as he touched her shoulder.

The foul smell of a hundred wet bats infiltrated her nostrils. "Good grief, did we actually sleep here?" she groaned, her words echoing throughout the cave.

He didn't reply.

Kaoru propped herself up and stretched, yawning. She looked at Enishi. He remained in the same position as he was in last night. Everything looked the same except for the growing light of dawn. The rain had stopped. Enishi had dark circles beneath his eyes.

"Did you get any shut-eye at all?" she asked, retying the blue ribbon in her hair.

He shook his head.

"Why?"

"Just had a lot to think about."

Kaoru frowned. "That's not good for long-distance swimming."

"I've crippled entire crime syndicates on less sleep," he replied flatly.

"You're conditioned to it, then?"

"It's not a trade that lets you slumber peacefully."

"I guess there's no rest for the wicked," she grinned.

He gave her a long stare.

She felt nervous under his gaze. Kaoru looked away and observed small groups of bats taking off to the outside world, likely checking up on the fallen fruits before they rotted.

Her stomach growled.

"Shall we?" Kaoru said, gesturing at the cave's exit.

Enishi nodded, put on his glasses, and led the way out.

The earth all over them was still soft and wet, so they walked mindfully through the forest. Everything was still and quiet, as if the entire island was still slumbering from the blanket of rain. She spotted a lone eagle flying across the horizon, and a few bats eagerly sucking away at some mangoes. She thought it was peaceful.

"If I wasn't so hungry, I would actually stop and admire the view," Kaoru commented.

He glanced at her. "It's not a view you see everyday," Enishi admitted.

"This island's been bad, but… it could be much worse. Isn't that right, chief?"

"I suppose so."

The two advanced on. Kaoru initially had a hard time catching up to Enishi's long strides, but he slowed down to match her pace.

"Thanks," she panted.

"For what?"

"For you know, slowing down."

He looked at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She sighed.

Kaoru sneezed a few times; she suspected that she was starting to get a cold. She also heard Enishi suppress a cough.

On second thought, Kaoru mused, maybe they should have huddled for warmth if it kept them from being sick—so long as they agreed to pretend that it never happened. Huddling with Enishi wouldn't be so bad. He was an asshole, but he was easy on the eyes and still had some semblance of a soul. It wasn't as distasteful as huddling with Shishio Makoto, who was an asshole, completely soulless, _and_ a burn victim.

"You're thinking about something," he remarked. He pulled aside an overhanging branch and let her through first.

"What makes you say that?" she replied with a bit of surprise.

"You have a rather sour look on your face."

"Oh. I was imagining what it would be like to be stuck here with Shishio Makoto."

He raised an eyebrow.

"It's for perspective's sake. It makes you look a lot better."

His lips twitched into smirk. "I'm… pleased."

"Did you know him?"

"I sold him the _Rengoku_ battleship."

She gasped. "You mean, the one that was supposed to attack Tokyo?"

He nodded.

Kaoru stopped in her tracks. "I'm not sure why I'm not more afraid of you," she reflected.

Enishi cocked his head. "Nor do I."

He cast a sideways glance at her as he waited. She followed him.

"Don't let the youthful good looks fool you," he grinned. "I'm just as dangerous, and even more so."

She rolled her eyes.

After several kilometres and some amicable conversation, they reached camp. Kaoru tried to convince Enishi the umpteenth time to reconsider or postpone the swim, but he stayed committed. Eventually, Kaoru conceded and there was nothing left to do but face the swim itself.

 

* * *

 

Enishi's body stood out like a slender white pillar against the ambiguous grey skies and ocean spray. They both faced the ocean, and Kaoru suddenly felt so small compared to the ceaseless motions of ocean and sky. Despite Enishi's tall frame, he seemed just as small compared to the body of water he planned to cut across to their route to freedom. She questioned his judgment and felt dread overcome her.

Kaoru approached him with leaden feet. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" she asked while biting her lip. She touched his left arm and turned it over, examining it.

Enishi nodded. "I feel as good as I ever will."

He looked thinner than on the first day and was as bug-bitten as she was, but he was right. The marks from the fight with Kenshin were gone. Despite all the abuse that his body had taken over the past week, he was still one of the more able and athletic people she had ever known. There was a reason why he could stand toe-to-toe with Kenshin.

"Move your arm around and rotate your wrists. Show me that you can swim that distance," she said. He humoured her and did just that. "Nothing hurts?" she asked.

He shrugged. "A twinge here and there, nothing serious."

"If that's the case, you should stretch a lot. I don't want you to get marooned out there with a leg cramp, you hear me?" Kaoru admonished.

He gave a wry smile. "While I leave you here free? I think not, that would put a damper on my plans."

She couldn't help but grin. He began to stretch.

"Don't forget your calf muscles," Kaoru noted.

"Yes, Madam," he retorted while performing the stretch.

As Kaoru looked on, she realized that she couldn't bear the thought of losing him, especially when she was only starting to enjoy his company. After he did all the stretches she should possibly think of, she had nothing left to do but confront the dreaded goodbye.

"How long will you be gone for?" she asked.

"Hours… it depends. It could be up to five hours."

She gulped at the thought. "And how long would it be… u-uh… until I…"

"—until you can declare that I'm dead?"

Kaoru winced. "Something like that."

"You can't get rid of me that easily," he smirked.

She wasn't so sure about that.

"That troubled look doesn't fit your pretty features."

She tried to relax her furrowed brows, but it wasn't working.

"I promised you that I'll get us out of here," Enishi asserted. "I will get that bloody radio, no matter if I return half drowned or with half the ocean's predators clinging on to me. I will get us out of here."

She nodded. She did not doubt his sincerity—she doubted reality.

They were both silent for a moment.

"Well, don't be too long," she said, patting him awkwardly over the shoulder and stepped back.

He stepped in, closing the gap between them. He removed his glasses and placed them in her hands. "Make sure you don't lose these."

His hands enveloped hers. She craned her neck up to meet his gaze; their eyes became locked. Kaoru was too aware of their nearness. Her heart raced and a blush spread across her cheeks.

"I won't," she managed to stammer.

She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, or if Enishi was lowering his face down to hers. Her insides froze; she wanted to disappear and melt into the sand.

He brushed aside a loose lock of hair and tucked it into her ear.

"Don't try to leave," he whispered.

The words were caught in her throat.

He seemed satisfied. With that, he slipped off his slacks and started walking towards the ocean.

She watched him walk away with a twinge in her heart and fidgeted with his glasses. Why was this so damn familiar? Why was she always watching people risk their lives while she nervously tried to keep her wits together?

What if this was the last time that she was going to see this crazy man?

On impulse, she ran towards him, quickly covering the distance. He turned around, and looked at her in surprise while she tiptoed and gave him an awkward peck on the cheek—or on the chin as she missed her mark.

"Good luck," she said.

He gave her a puzzled look. "Thanks."

Enishi continued on and walked into the waters, and dove in without looking back.

 

* * *

 

Kaoru stared helplessly at the ocean while clutching his glasses. If she'd held them any tighter, they would have broken. After several deep breaths, she decided to do something instead of remaining useless.

She returned to the creek and retrieved water, rinsed the bat smell off of her, and washed the clothes—getting most of the blood out of her blouse. The weather cleared and the sun blazed, drying out their clothes in no time.

She rushed back to the shack, foolishly hoping that Enishi was back early. The shack was empty, of course. The beach was empty too. He was gone now for roughly two hours.

Kaoru continued to busy herself. She thought that if her fingers stopped moving, her worries about Enishi would spill out and she would collapse into catatonic despair. She already did that back when Kenshin left for Kyoto, and she was determined to not repeat the experience.

Her need to remain busy led her to attempt fishing again. She was motivated by pride; she thought that it was ridiculous that Enishi held a monopoly over the skill. She used the fishing tools in the ways that Enishi showed her, and in ways Enishi didn't—but she still couldn't catch a single fish.

She thought that the skill shouldn't be beyond her, but she just wasn't suited to using the tools. So she decided to make her own.

She trudged back to the bamboo grove with the axe, and scrutinized the specimens. She recalled memories of fishing villages. When she was a child, her dad on rare occasions took her out of the city and brought her to villages off the coasts of Japan. He brought her to the ones on Shikoku, the west coast of Honshū, and Hokkaido—she thought fondly of each place but her memories blurred it all into a jumble. Kaoru remembered watching an old man weave a bamboo basket; he said that it was for catching fish. She recalled his gnarled but deft fingers making short work of the basket, sculpting it from strips of bamboo. He didn't even need rope.

She faced a lush green wall of bamboo. She chopped out a four-foot length of bamboo, and sliced it into planks. She cut the planks into thinner planks, and tried to hack it into even strips, but instead the plank was obliterated into a pile of disparate pieces.

Kaoru tried again, and wedged the blade in the plank and slid it down its length. It worked. She repeated the act until she had enough strips to weave with.

After several trials, she figured out an effective weaving pattern using the sturdier pieces as a frame, and crosshatched them with the more flexible pieces. Her fingers hurt but the basket came together quickly, and it felt good to be working towards something.

She thought back to the trips with her father. He'd had a strange fascination for glass floats, with their different shapes and hues. He bought them from the fishermen or even stole them from the net if it had a rare colour and no one was watching. He got caught in a net once, but he forbade her to ever talk about it. She recalled glumly carrying heavy boxes filled with glass, which took the fun out of a ferry ride for a seven year old.

Kaoru smiled at the memory as she tucked the last strip into the end of the basket. It was done. It wasn't perfect, but it seemed sturdy and ready to be tested.

She walked towards a forest of mangroves, their cool shade comforting in the intensifying heat. She lowered the basket between the crook of a mangrove's roots, and secured it with rope. The plan was to leave it there, and hope some creatures would swim in through the narrow opening and take shelter. She could then later take them unawares.

She stared at the bright blue horizon. What now?

Kaoru returned to camp, disquieted that Enishi still wasn't back. She occupied herself with chopping wood, setting up experimental animal traps, and even aired out the futons.

As she worked, she avoided thinking of Enishi. She whistled, thought of home, and invented stories about the fisherman who used to live on the island. She came to the conclusion that a long time ago, he had been on a ship to Hawaii, but the ship crashed along the way. The man salvaged nothing but a floating chest that held two crude futons and a lifetime supply of candles.

The ocean swept him on the island. He tried to sail away but couldn't, and eventually contented himself with living here. He fought off his loneliness by pretending to have a wife, and whispered sweet nothings to the second empty futon every night. The man half-expected to receive a magical wife, from the soul of a willow tree or something, but as the island had no such tree, he remained alone.

Kaoru glanced at the second empty futon.

She shook her head.

She returned to the mangrove forest to check up on the bamboo trap. The tide levels were higher and the ocean swells seemed larger than usual. Kaoru found the basket, lifted it up, and almost dropped it when it shook violently. She cursed and placed it lid-down on the ground. The basket lurched, and she held it down while reaching for a large piece of rock.

She took a deep breath and lifted the basket, slamming the rock indiscriminately until it hit the creature's head. It was a large catch. It wasn't tuna, it was a fish with a big ugly mouth, and it glistened a dark copper colour. She wasn't sure what it was, but she felt accomplished.

Kaoru went back to camp and roasted her fish. This time, she didn't burn it as black as coal. She devoured it happily until she saw a corpse stagger towards her.

"Enishi!" she gasped. She dropped everything and ran to him.

He was pale and haggard. Walking weakly with a case in hand, he did not have his usual confident saunter. He was drenched, and his wet hair was grey and plastered on to his face. He looked like he was an inch from death, but he was alive.

She hugged him; he was as stiff as a board.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "You were gone so long and—"

"It's not working."

"What?" She pulled back.

"The radio. It's not working," he snapped. He pushed her away and made for the shack.

She stood silently as she watched him.

"Wait. What do you mean?" she asked as she followed him in. He threw the radio down on the desk, pulled on his clothes, and faced away from her.

"Can you fix it?" she asked.

He stood still.

"You think…" he said coldly, "That the head of the fastest growing syndicate in Shanghai would fiddle around with wires?"

"It was just a question—" she protested.

He whipped around. He began to stalk towards her.

"I buy and sell battleships, explosives, and firearms. I don't use bodyguards because the underground knows that I can kill all the men in a room before they can draw their guns. I learned a sword technique that can defeat Japan's deadliest assassin from an old Chinese manual _all by myself_.

"Now _tell_ me," he hissed, "why would the most dangerous man in Asia, and possibly the world, bother with _wires_?"

She glared at him angrily. "A simple _no_ would suffice."

His face turned ugly, and he shook with rage.

Kaoru held her ground and stared at him straight on, becoming even more infuriated.

His eyes darted to her left shirt pocket.

"What's this?" he snarled.

Her stomach dropped.

"What was your work, again?"

"I teach kendo."

"_No._ The other one."

She winced. "I… I work at Nippon Columbia."

"And what do you do at Nippon Columbia? They make radios for the domestic market, don't they?"

Kaoru nodded weakly.

"Can you fix _this_?" he said, thrusting up the radio.

She didn't want to. Fixing it meant that his henchmen would drag her to his island prison.

"You can't lie to me," he sneered. "I can read you like a book."

"Yes." She hung her head.

"By when?" he shoved the radio at her.

She examined it. It was a case the size of a large bento box, covered with a brown leatherette fabric. It had a handle and one side was damaged from an impact. She set it down and opened it. She turned an ivory dial and water poured out.

"It depends."

"On _what_?"

"On the batteries, corrosion from salt water, my ability to fix it, and if I can make the tools to even open the bloody thing."

His lip curled. "Well you better get cracking."

"Don't be such an asshole," she flared.

"Why? You think I'll be nice to you just because you remind me of Tomoe?"

And she'd thought that she was starting to like him.

"I just thought…" she angrily began, but came to a pause. "Forget it."

"I'll be watching you," he whispered. "Try to betray me again and you'll wish you never met Battousai."

 

* * *

 

Kaoru bit her lip as she tried to loosen a screw with the tip of a knife. Enishi let her use the knife, but so long as he monitored her with his sword nearby. The knife slipped and accidentally cut her hand. She cursed. It was a small wound, but it stung. As she sucked on her hand, her thoughts grew dark with despair.

It was foolish to think that anything would change with Enishi, but she had thought it would. She missed their budding camaraderie, his kindness, and his surprising humour. Now he was just predictably a jerk. She held back her tears.

"Get going," he muttered. "Don't think that you can get away with being slow."

"It's not my fault that the screws have a Phillips head," she snapped.

He stared blankly at her, and then scowled.

She sighed and continued to delicately turn the knife, squinting at the screws.

Minutes passed in tense silence.

"So how was the swim?" she spat.

"Don't talk. Work."

There was silence. Kaoru worked away. She ruined a screw drive, damn. She was frustrated, but talking always made her feel better, even if it wasn't pleasant.

"Well, I caught fish today," she said sharply.

He ignored her.

"I made a basket, and set it as a trap in the mangroves."

He said nothing.

"It worked. I got the basket back even though the water level got higher, and the water was rougher with these swells…"

"—wait. What?"

She looked at him in puzzlement. "What, the basket?"

"No. You said something else."

"The water level was higher and these were these swells."

His eyebrows furrowed.

"Didn't you see it while swimming?" she asked.

"If you're in water long enough, everything looks like a wave."

"Hmm. So what about it?"

Enishi frowned. "Drop that and come with me."

They walked to the mangroves. The ocean tumbled, and swells tall enough to engulf men crashed against the trees, rattling them. The sky continued to cast a brilliant blue over the horizon, contrasting against the violent swells that now swept the entire stretch of ocean. The swells billowed like the sails on old battleships, approaching land with an air of inevitability. There were no sounds other than the water's movements; the jungle's creatures were hushed into silence, as if they were waiting.

"What is it?" Kaoru asked.

Enishi squinted at the distance.

"I think we have a typhoon coming."

 

* * *

 

Author's Note: Next update will be sometime in the month of February. Got more time-sensitive projects right now. 'Til then!


	6. Sixth Day

Kaoru lay awake, unable to fall asleep due to the jungle's uncanny silence. She'd grown used to the lively sounds of the night and started to find it comforting—as if it was a reminder that there was life beyond her uneasy existence with Enishi. With the sounds gone, she was left to hear her rapidly beating heart and fearful thoughts. It wasn't making going sleep easier.

She turned in her futon and glanced at Enishi across the room. He faced away from her, as usual. He'd been silent since he announced the typhoon's approach; he'd stopped monitoring her and had retired to the shack early. She had continued to work on the radio, but they both knew that there was no way his henchmen could rescue them out of a storm. They would have to brave it one way or another.

Kaoru looked out the window. The night air was cool, and the moon was so large that gazing at it was daunting. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, or if the wind started to pick up a bit. She drew her sheets closer.

"Enishi?" she whispered.

His form twitched, but said nothing.

She sighed. She could already feel the waves of irritation emanate from him, but now it was weighed down with malaise.

"I know you're awake," she said. "We need to talk."

No response.

Kaoru sat up and wrapped the sheets around her like a cloak, and shuffled over to his side. She sat down on the floor and leaned against the wall.

"So," Kaoru began, "how much do you know about typhoons?"

"Just enough," he mumbled.

"How much time do we have?"

"Not enough."

"By that you mean…?"

He turned around to face her, his white hair all in disarray.

"Less than a day."

Kaoru grimaced. "What should we expect?"

"The eye won't reach land for a while, but a furious storm will strike us by tomorrow evening," he replied. "It'll rip apart anything planted in the ground, and kill anything unlucky enough to be on the surface."

"What do we do, chief?"

"Nothing."

He turned away from her.

Kaoru waited for him to say more, but he remained silent.

"I don't believe you," she snapped.

No response.

"You expect me to believe that the most dangerous man in Asia is willing to lie down and let a typhoon run over him?"

No response.

"Bloody hell, aren't you a piece of work? You're telling me you can't deal with situations that you can't shake a sword at?"

"Can it," Enishi snarled, turning to face her. "You don't know what you're talking about."

She returned his gaze. "I do. You're smart and fierce, but overspecialized."

Enishi eyed her and said nothing.

"You like control," she continued, "but fortune gave you a beating yesterday. You're out of your element."

"Fortune cursed me the day Battousai took my sister's life," he spat. "Anything I gained thereafter came at a heavy price."

Kaoru said nothing.

He turned away again. "It's only fitting that fortune will take away my life now, only when I'm so close to finding justice."

As she faced his back, her hands shook and curled into fists.

"You're such an asshole!" she erupted. "Why can't you say something useful?"

"Like what?" he demanded. He sat up and slumped against the wall.

She sighed. "I don't know, like… hey—let's hide in that forty foot pit. We won't get crushed by falling trees."

"It'll get flooded by water."

"What about the bat cave?"

"The opening is too wide for us to seal. It's beside a gully and the storm coming would flood it completely."

She frowned. "What then?"

Enishi gave her a blank look.

"We stay here and get pulverized?"

He shrugged. He stared out at nothing.

"Maybe that's how the old fisherman died," she murmured.

His mouth twitched. "Then why is this pathetic shanty still around? Why didn't it get blown away like him?"

Kaoru grew silent.

"That's it!" she gasped. She sprinted out of the shack, barely noticing that the sheets flew off her.

"What?" he said from the inside.

She squatted down and tried to inspect the shack's structure in the moonlight.

Enishi emerged. "Can you even see anything?" He shined the flashlight at her.

Kaoru shielded her eyes. "Look, what do you see?" She gestured at the wall.

He walked towards her and knelt down. He draped the sheets across her shoulders and redirected the flashlight.

Enishi's mouth was a thin line. "It's a battered structure about to collapse. It's made of incongruent pieces. It's a Frankenstein house."

Kaoru beamed at him.

"What?"

"Don't you see it, Enishi?"

He glanced at the wall, but did not look enlightened.

"_This structure has survived through a typhoon_. That's why it's so damaged!"

"… and this will ensure our survival, how?"

"We'll fix it up!" she cheered, clasping him on the back.

"In less than a day?" He didn't look amused.

"It's worth a shot."

"I don't believe you."

She pouted. "Well, you're no fun at all. All pessimism and no optimism makes for a very bitter man."

"Being bitter is natural."

Kaoru snorted. "It's as natural as bitter melon in stir fry. You can stir it in all you want, but really, everyone'll just eat the pork."

His expression didn't change.

"But" Kaoru pursed her lips. "… you did eat corpses after all."

He stared at her.

* * *

Overcast clouds loomed over the morning scene, and chill winds continued to blow—muffling the sounds of the island. The grey skies were like a blank canvas, as there wasn't a single bird that dotted its surface. The land was still uncharacteristically deserted, as if the dense jungle, the shore, and the all the other landmarks only served as set pieces, waiting for the play to be acted out.

Kaoru gestured at the scene, with her arms spread out.

"That fisherman was a genius."

Enishi didn't appear to agree.

She looked back at Enishi. "Comment?"

He pushed up his glasses. "This shanty is built on high ground."

"And?"

"The location is almost equidistant from all parts of the shoreline."

"And?"

"I still think it's too rotten to save us."

"There's only one way to find out," Kaoru said as she picked up the axe.

Enishi held her back. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Away, to get supplies."

"Do you even know what you need?"

"Stuff that can cover up holes."

His mouth twitched. "Your attention to detail impresses me."

She swept his hand off her shoulder.

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized," she quoted.

"Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat," he returned.

They stared at each other.

"Are you going to help me?" she asked.

"You're not competent enough to do this alone."

"You're not helpful enough to come up with alternatives."

Enishi looked grim and said nothing. He slipped his hand over hers, took the axe, and led the way out.

The wind blew in fits and the forest shook in response. They had to be more careful in navigating around the terrain to avoid getting thrashed by the branches. While it was impossible to receive some scrapes, especially by the undergrowth, the movement at least shook the chill off Kaoru's bones.

They argued over their priorities. She wanted them to split up so they could get also get food, but Enishi was convinced there was only time for water and repairing the shack. She conceded this time, and the two marched their way to the creek in silence. The jungle had an increasingly oppressive air, heavy with the currents of the storm that was about to come.

It was tricky hauling water to and from the creek. Kaoru wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but the forest seemed to be thrashing about more wildly and the wind was picking up. They transported enough water for at least three days. The grey clouds hung lower and obscured the sun's position, but she guessed that it was a little before noon. Now, the real work began.

Kaoru looked at him. "So chief, what details were you thinking of?"

"We're using cogon grass to repair the structure."

She snorted. "Yeah—if you have time to dry them. They can't stay put if they're not dried."

"But that's the original material."

"And you don't know what you're doing."

"Now is not the time to argue," he snapped.

"And you _still_ don't know what you're doing."

His eyes blazed. "But I'm not the captive one, am I?"

Her frustration and anger combined and resulted in an eruption of energy. She grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him down to her eye level.

"You took me away from my home," she said through clenched teeth. "You've put my life in danger because you can't deal with your past. I am not going to die just because of your bullshit."

He shoved her to the ground.

"Neither of us would be here if your beau didn't destroy my life!" Enishi thundered.

"_You_ destroyed your life!" she spat.

Enishi stared her down. Kaoru picked herself up and dusted the soil off her clothes.

"Kenshin did terrible things," she continued. "But he changed. He can't bring the dead back to life, but he tries to correct the wrongs that he had committed."

"You lie. Men don't change."

"No. You just haven't."

His mouth tightened. "This conversation is over."

Kaoru kept her fists by at side. They shook with fury and her fingernails dug into her palms.

"I can't deal with this." She stormed off. She heard him shout something, but he didn't follow her. She sighed in relief.

Kaoru found a rock and sat down, taking a moment's respite. She stared at the branches above her. She couldn't name the tree, but the leaves it held were as wide and long as she was. They swayed ceaselessly and made her a little dizzy.

She wondered what her hours spent training in the dojo or attaching wires were good for. She was skilled at both, but it seemed like all her hours of labour were worthless. The most dangerous man in Asia was worth little without his network or his targets. In the reality outside of human organization, most of the activities that people structured their lives around amounted to nothing more than busy work. Enishi was just as useless at survival as her. They were on level turf and there wasn't anything stopping her from taking charge.

She felt alive.

Kaoru walked back and snatched the axe from Enishi.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Being useful." She began hacking off the large leaves. "We'll use these to repair the roof." A pile accumulated beside her. "You can help by hauling it back to camp."

He appeared insulted. "So you think this will save us?"

"Let me know when you've got better ideas, chief. In the meantime, let's not wait around to get wiped out, yeah?" She gave him a stare.

His brows furrowed. Enishi grunted, bundled up the pile with some rope, and carried it out.

She hacked on.

* * *

The gusty winds whipped Kaoru's hair around her. She cursed. It made being on the roof even more precarious than it should've been.

"You've attached them the wrong side up," she yelled over to Enishi.

He scowled. "Does it matter?"

"The shiny side keeps the water out. The way it's now, water will accumulate on that section and cause the roof to collapse."

His scowl deepened as he began to untie the rope; the leaves flapped with the air currents.

From the roof, she could see wind driven waves crash against higher shores, with foam covering the rest of the sea—resembling a giant cauldron about to boil over.

She tied the knots faster.

Kaoru's fingers were raw from working on the roof all afternoon, but the pain felt good. It had taken them a while to figure out how to reinforce the roof, but once they stopped arguing and got started, it felt natural despite the panic nipping at her heels. She wasn't completely confident that it was going to work, but her guess was as good as any. At least if they were going to die, she had spent her last couple of hours on something constructive. Distraction was often better than the painful awareness of futility.

She looked up when she ran out of leaves. Enishi was still working on the same section.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

He grunted.

She bit her lip. The overcast clouds loomed closer. "I'll finish the roof if you take care of the remaining repairs."

Enishi looked like he was about to retort, but instead nodded. Kaoru crept across while maintaining a secure grip on the structure. When she reached him and had her weight on anything that might be blown away, Enishi turned around and leapt down with the ease of a cat.

She knitted her brows as she focused on her work. Time wasn't on their side and she could sense the storm coming, but she was sure that they were going to make it.

Time passed and the skies darkened. A raindrop slid down her neck.

"Are you done?" Enishi yelled.

Kaoru tied the final knot. She had to squint to see her handiwork, but the roof was complete. It was sturdier than the original material.

"Coming!" she responded.

She gauged the distance to the ground, suppressing the uneasy feeling in her stomach. She shuffled over to the edge and shifted her weight. She made the jump and landed, although ungracefully.

She winced.

"Are you alright?"

"Just a bit sore," she responded, stretching out to a standing position.

"So I guess this is it?" He gestured at the shack.

Kaoru examined the repairs. "This is as good as it gets."

The rain began to pour.

"We'll just bring in the rest of the tools and we're set." Kaoru stooped to pick up a knife.

"Where's the axe?"

Kaoru paused. "Shit."

"Tell me you didn't leave it behind." His eyebrows furrowed.

She groaned. She went into the shack and emerged with the flashlight.

"Do you know where it is?"

"I think so."

"Good. Otherwise, we can go kiss survival goodbye."

She rolled her eyes.

Gusts of wind raged forth, flinging branches and debris. Kaoru squinted through the storm as they made their way back into the jungle, struggling through all the swinging branches. The ground turned into mud and they were soaked. It was already miserable enough with company, she couldn't imagine going at it alone. Sometime after they walked in a circle and engaged in another debate about directions, they finally found the axe by a cluster of stripped trees. Enishi retrieved the axe and they headed back.

The jungle was now pitch-black except for the flashlight's beam. She hated traveling in the dark—it made everything look different.

"We're going the wrong way," Enishi said. "We're walking towards the sea."

"We're on an island. We're _surrounded_ by the sea."

"And we're not getting closer to the shack. We should be going _that_ way," he pointed.

She squinted at both directions: they looked the same. She threw up her hands. "Fine!"

The rain continued to pour, penetrating the thick forest canopy. Their movements slowed to a crawl. She'd learned how to angle and maneuver herself through a dense jungle, but the skill was useless without peripheral vision.

Heavy branches smashed into them and disoriented her.

"Kaoru?" Enishi placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she said with a hand on her forehead, collecting herself. She saw a beam of light in the distance. The flashlight.

She cursed.

"I'll handle this," he said as he gave her the axe. He moved forward.

"No, I'm responsible for it," she said. They reached a clearing situated high above the tumultuous waters. The flashlight was caught on a bush that dangled over the edge of the cliff.

"I hate this, chief."

"But we'll get even more lost without it."

"I know."

They inched their way to the light. The rain made the ground slippery. Kaoru grabbed on to the bushes in their path, while making sure that Enishi's white head wasn't too far off.

They reached the final bush.

"You may have the honour," she said. Kaoru clung to a bush several metres away from the edge. She wasn't going to feign bravado given her recent history with heights.

Enishi made a mock bow. He adjusted his footing and stretched over to reach the flashlight. He certainly had a longer reach than her.

The flashlight was in his hands. She exhaled. Kaoru extended a hand, but Enishi was moving backward.

_Shit!_

She let go of the bush and seized him with both hands.

He was scrambling to climb up, but the bush was no longer there. Kaoru threw all her weight backward; her feet slid with the wet soil. Her forearms screamed with the weight, but she ignored them.

Enishi let out a string of curses as he continued to struggle. His movements made it harder for her to hold on. "Stop moving!" she yelled. She took two steps back, but slid three steps forward.

He found some footing and reached for her, but it was too late.

Kaoru slammed into him and they launched into a freefall. She felt a lurch and looked into his wide eyes. She held on to him by instinct, but in the confusion, she found herself falling backwards and facing the angry skies.

Her body hit the ocean with a force that knocked the air out of her lungs, like reaching the pavement after a skyscraper jump. Disoriented, Kaoru thrashed around in the depths, unable to see which way was up. She forced her eyes open, but all she could see was the same colour of black. The ocean was a whirlpool of darkness, and the current toyed with her. Her lungs felt like they were about to burst.

The waters pulled her up and smashed her against a rock face. She held on and took a hungry gulp of air.

"Enishi!" she cried. She heard nothing but the roaring waves in the darkness. "Enishi! I am going to kill you!" A wave engulfed her and plunged her back into the waters.

She held her breath although liquid already entered her nostrils. The currents pulled her body in different directions. She fought her way up and swam, and then another wave sucked her in.

The sea threw her against another boulder. She coughed and felt something tug at her collar.

Her hands searched for a grip, but the sea dragged her back kicking and cursing.

Kaoru flailed, fought, and thrashed. She felt fingers dig into at her arm.

"Stop attacking me!" Enishi yelled.

"What?"

He wrapped her arms around him. "This is going to hurt, but it's the only way out."

Before she could say a word, he dove back into the waters. She clung on.

They bolted through the depths at a rapid speed. They moved in a single direction: with the current. She gritted her teeth and focused on holding her breath, even though she was starting to see stars.

She opened her eyes and took a breath. They were heading towards a sea cave.

"Are you mad? Are you absolutely fucking mad?" she roared.

The sea submerged them, and they came back up.

"Do you want to dash our brains out?" Kaoru coughed, shrieking.

Kaoru could barely see anything in the darkness, but she could hear the waves assault the cave walls. The force was thunderous and was clearly responsible for forming the cave in the first place.

A wave took them.

She braced herself as the current took them in and pounded them against rock. Kaoru was bruised, but was aware enough to shield her head as she was hurled into another wall. She was sure the force was strong enough to knock her out cold, but the churning stopped. Kaoru felt her body dragged across a stone floor. She groaned. A light shone.

Kaoru lifted her head and met a pair of green eyes.

"You're insane," she rasped.

"Your rescue was terrible." Enishi directed the flashlight at her.

She shielded her eyes. "You're _welcome_."

She emerged from her crouch, but wobbled. He steadied her.

"Do you even realize how close that was?" he demanded.

"It easily could have been you."

"But I still saved us both."

"A bit premature—that statement," Kaoru gestured at the advancing waves crashing against the walls, threatening to engulf the rest of the cave floor.

He cursed. "I hate this place!"

"Tell me about it," Kaoru muttered as she placed her arm around his shoulders. "Just add some quicksand and malaria, then we'd be set—_paradise_."

Enishi shone the flashlight and investigated the area.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "How did you hold on to the flashlight? How does it even still work?"

He ignored her comment and pointed at a crevice. "If that's not blocked, that could be our way out."

"Lead on then," she said, as she held on tighter to him.

The two made their way out the sea cave, slipped through the crevice and pushed their way through the bushes.

"Did you know about the cave floor?" she asked.

Enishi said nothing.

"Damn you!"

"And where is that axe?" he returned.

"It can go to hell."

Once they reemerged on the surface, Kaoru was tempted to turn back.

The howling wind and pounding rain laid a path of destruction, as trees, bushes, and parts of the jungle were swept away. It was almost impossible to stand in the wind, and it took all of Kaoru's strength to hobble forward. It was hard to see with water in her eyes. She was battered and exhausted, but adrenaline surged within her. The pain faded. They ducked as low as possible and sprinted through the obstacles, guided by their beam of light and sheer desperation.

They reached the shack. They hurled through the entrance and slammed the door. Kaoru leaned against it with her heart racing, overwhelmed with relief. She was wet, dirty, and injured—but they've made it.

"That was too close," Enishi panted.

She cracked a smile and elation filled her with a lightheaded sensation. "But we're here! We did it!"

She sprung toward him for a celebratory hug. Enishi didn't accept the embrace, instead, his lips met hers with a forceful kiss. Electricity shot down her spine and she froze in shock. Enishi wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him; he cradled her chin and deepened the kiss. Her mind went blank.

He broke the kiss and gazed at her. She flushed with embarrassment and desire, too scrambled to respond.

His long fingers brushed against her cheek. Before she knew it, he pulled at her hair, angling her head and roughly locked his lips against hers. She felt like a tidal wave hit her, and all her senses were flooded by his sensuality. His warmth razed through her skin like wildfire. His mouth tasted of sea salt and the ocean's depths. The smell of crushed cloves and wet earth enveloped her.

The man was a natural disaster, and she drowned beneath him.

She went rigid in alarm and tried to twist away. He pressed his body against hers, as if demanding to mould her flesh against his. His tongue forced its way between her lips. Callused hands slid down curves she didn't know existed. Everything about him was greedy and aggressive, and yet she could sense a desperate plea for acceptance.

She closed her eyes and let a calm bliss flow through her veins. Kaoru relaxed and leaned into him, opening her mouth slightly wider. A deep moan escaped from his throat, making her hair stand on end. Her palms slipped beneath his shirt, exploring the firm muscles of his torso. His fingers brushed against her breasts and deftly unbuttoned her blouse. A ronin's sad eyes flashed in her mind.

Kaoru gasped and shoved him off. Her heart pounded and felt like it was about to burst.

She stared at Enishi. "What the hell are we doing?"

He looked dazed. His eyes began to focus and scrutinize her features. A long finger traced down her jaw and lifted her chin.

"You want me." His green eyes were bold and piercing.

She hung her head and felt guilt eat at her. "That's not the point."

He was silent. Enishi tugged her towards him, cradling her in his arms. He stroked her hair and breathed in deeply.

"You're cold and wet," he murmured in her ear. "You should stay close to me."

Enishi peeled off her shirt and also removed his. He pressed against her; the sensation of his bare skin against hers made her shudder and hardened the peaks on her chest.

She closed her eyes, relishing the sensation of his caress. A coarse hand touched the small of her back and traveled up her spine. She bit back a moan and instinctively pushed herself against him, determined to squeeze out any space between them.

He grinned. "Enjoying yourself?"

"This is crazy," she gasped. Enishi chuckled and claimed another savage kiss.

It was bruising, but satisfying. When they broke contact, she ran her fingers up his neck and burrowed them into his matted hair. She pulled him close and took his mouth into hers. Her tongue flicked across the roof of his mouth, tasting his spice. It was like savouring a full-bodied wine, and she wanted more. Their tongues met and she took his between her lips. She sucked it gently and a thrill went up her core.

Enishi groaned. "You're wicked."

"Not as much as you," she breathed.

He undid the last of their clothing. Enishi stepped back and raked his eyes over her naked figure, lingering over areas. She couldn't help but do the same to him. She had a few scars but he was completely covered in them. They made up the landscape of his body, just like the pronounced veins, sinewy muscles, and callused hands. His flesh was as rough as his history, and she wanted to explore every inch of it.

Enishi gave a knowing grin. She burned red and continued to stare at him, wondering where her courage was coming from. She supposed that neither of them was more vulnerable than the other. They were both aroused and they knew it.

Kaoru was about to say something, but lost her train of thought. She shook her head and shoved him against a wall, and grazed her nose down his neck. His scent was intoxicating—it was earthy, fiery, and threatened to be overwhelming. Kaoru breathed deep and let it linger, marveling at the hint of sweetness.

She found a hollow at the base of his neck and kissed it. She planted kisses and sucked his skin as her palm slid down his side, along the length of a large scar, reaching his narrow hips. Enishi grunted and whipped around, reversing their positions, and flattened her against the wall. He lifted her, forcing her legs to wrap around his waist. He ground his length against her core. Moisture seeped between her legs. She whimpered and dug her fingers into his back.

"Kaoru," he growled. He held her up and had her securely pinned against the wall. She tensed and yet her legs were locked around him. She could feel him swell against her, and the anticipation was maddening.

They paused as they heard the raging storm outside. The downpour hammered against the roof and the wind shrieked. She heard the crash of thunder nearby and felt its rumble reverberate up her back. Something slammed against the outside walls and the shack swayed a bit. She embraced Enishi and trembled against him.

"It hasn't collapsed," he said.

"I'm not afraid."

He gave her a searching look. There was a softness to his eyes that seemed familiar. "Just in case… any last words?"

She hesitated, searching her thoughts. "You're not so bad after all," she said finally.

Enishi gave a small smile. "And you're not so terrible either."

She smiled sadly, and felt weighed down by the struggles of the past week, which were only part of a battle that stretched over the course of a lifetime.

Kaoru rested her forehead against his.

"I wish we met under different circumstances," she whispered.

He gave her a soft kiss. "The world is an unfair place."

Moisture welled in Kaoru's eyes, and she choked back a sob.

"To hell with the world," she cursed.

Enishi kissed her cheek. "I thought you were more optimistic," he murmured as he nuzzled her hair.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she drew him deep inside her. Enishi groaned and his grip on her tightened. His length moved back and forth and she bit her lip with every inch. She felt him and it was painful and raw.

"I want to drown everything out," Kaoru said between ragged breaths.

His mouth took hers, and his tongue entered through her lips. The room spun and she was lost in him again.

"I want to feel nothing but you," she whispered against his lips. He made a grunt as he gathered her in his arms, and lowered her to the bed. Kaoru sunk into the sheets as he stretched his body on top of hers. His weight bore down on her and she cried out in relief.

Enishi met her gaze. A thumb swept a lock of hair off her eyes. He brushed his lips against her cheek and lowered it to her ear.

"I'll do my best."


	7. Seventh Day

Kaoru breathed evenly. Her body was relaxed and completely at ease. It was a state of mind where merely existing and breathing was pleasurable.

She dreamt of lying on a field of grass, nestled within a patch of iris flowers. It was warm and there was only the sound of the breeze. Her eyes were shut and her fingers were laced across her chest. She was aware of nothing but a sense of peace. As time passed, she sunk deeper into the earth. The irises and the soil blanketed her, drawing her into an infinite embrace.

She became aware of an arm draped across her middle, and a weight on her chest.

Kaoru opened her eyes. She was surprised by the darkness, but then she remembered that they boarded up the windows yesterday.

_Enishi_, she thought. She felt him exhale against the curve of her breast. Her hand glided towards him and she buried her fingers in a tangle of hair.

Rain tapped against the roof, but there were no dripping or strange sounds otherwise. She considered that as a sign that the shack was holding up.

She couldn’t remain in bed. Her brain was too energized with thoughts about the typhoon and getting off the island. She slipped out of Enishi’s reach and laid a kiss on the top of his head. He made a low rumbling sound but remained asleep.

Kaoru fumbled around in the dark. She reached the chest and pulled out a candle. Finding the lighter took a bit longer, but she lit the candle, pulled some clothes on, and set out her equipment to work on the radio.

She sat cross-legged on the floor as she continued her disassembly. Thinking about what actually fixing the radio would mean made her brain hurt. She didn’t feel like Enishi’s prisoner anymore, but it wasn’t like he had called off the revenge either. It was too complicated. She reasoned that even if she still wanted to escape Enishi, it wasn’t like there were any planes to flag down in the next couple of days. While leaving him behind was still the most logical move, she couldn’t bear to leave him… at least for now.

Kaoru looked at his slumbering form. Her heart fluttered a little.

She cursed herself.

Dealing with the radio had been a more arduous task than she expected. This sort of disassembly was normally done in a matter of minutes, given if it wasn’t crushed on one side and she had access to the proper tools. But her equipment currently amounted to a flashlight and a knife.

While her nerves were calmed by the mindset required by the work, uneasiness nagged at her with every turn of a screw thread. She wondered if Enishi seduced her to keep her complacent, or perhaps even convince her to _aid _him in his revenge against Kenshin. The thought made her sick, but it made sense. She wasn’t stupid.

She bit her lip as she began to carefully pry out a metal cover. Kaoru tried to block out her thoughts about Enishi’s potential schemes, but she reined in her paranoia by looking at events from his perspective instead of jumping to conclusions.

There were moments that _could_ have been a product of deception, but they were few and far in between. She was convinced that he had been his genuine self most of the time: obsessed with control, combative, and cynical at best. These were hardly the traits for winning over sympathy. If he wanted to seduce her, he could have done a much better job. Charming her by being himself was risky—too risky for his taste.

Kaoru thought of the night’s events. Perhaps it was just lust? She thought about it and shook her head. There was an emotional connection between them. It was irrational, self-defeating, and likely induced by the environmental factor of having no one else to talk to. But it was real. Perhaps really stupid, but it was real.

She sighed.

The metal cover came off with a clang.

“Kaoru?” Enishi mumbled.

She ignored him and examined the mess inside the radio. It smelled like seawater. 

From the corner of her eye, she saw him sit up in bed. She fought off the urge to directly observe him.

He groaned as he ran his hand through his disheveled hair. He turned towards her and blinked. Enishi stood up and strolled over to her side, not bothering to pull on any clothes. 

He crouched down beside her. Kaoru wet her lips nervously and recalled the taste of his skin. His eyes lingered on her, but they shifted over to her work. “I’m not sure if I should be impressed or concerned,” he commented.

“Hmm?” Kaoru kept her eyes on the radio. She tried to focus, but her thoughts kept on wandering.

Kaoru cleared her throat. “So is the worst of the storm over?”

He shook his head. “I think we’re in the eye of the typhoon, that’s why it sounds calmer now. It’ll pick up soon, and we’ll have to wait it out for at least another day.”

 “Hmm.” She frowned at a wire connector.

“Is that all you can say?” he remarked.

She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t have the easiest task at hand.”

“But that thing won’t get fixed overnight,” he protested.

She raised an eyebrow. “What would you suggest instead?”

“I assumed that we’d spend the day… recuperating together from yesterday’s events. We have everything we need in the meantime.”

“I wouldn’t think that you’d ask me to not work.”

“Some matters are more pressing.”

Kaoru snorted and handed him the flashlight. “Shine the light on these wires. I can’t see anything behind them.”

Enishi glanced at the radio. “You could just unscrew the other side.”

“The knife is free for you to use. Otherwise, shine that flashlight.”

He followed her.

Kaoru looked in and whistled at the damage. “Are you using that shirt of yours? This needs wiping.”

He found the shirt on the floor and threw it at her. “I don’t need it for a while.” He gave a small grin. Her cheeks grew flushed in response while she continued to disassemble and clean the parts.

Enishi settled beside her and watched her work from over her shoulder. He was making her feel self-conscious, and it didn’t help that she could feel his warmth through the fabric of her shirt.

“What’s the diagnosis?” he asked.

“I think most of it withstood water damage, but there are some contact points I’m not sure about. We’ll see.”

“Good,” he whispered. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. She felt the familiar rush of passion and couldn’t help but kiss him back.

“Do you even remember what I said?” she murmured.

“No,” he admitted.

“You’re a terrible overseer.”

“I don’t care.” He nuzzled her neck.

Kaoru pushed him away. “Working on the radio now.” He was starting to annoy her. She handed him one end of his shirt. “If you need to keep busy, help me clean these parts.”

His mouth twitched as if he was about to retort, but he took the shirt. Kaoru continued the disassembly and handed him parts to clean. Whenever he returned a part to her that was still sand-encrusted, she made him wipe it down again.

“I don’t know how you can work with these minuscule things,” he said, fumbling with a wire connector.

She shrugged. “I found a way to pay the bills.”

“How long have you been doing this work?”

“Since my father died. Before that, I had a stint as a waitress and short order cook.”

Enishi grimaced at the last word and paused. “You don’t make enough from the kendo lessons?”

“Everyone wanted their sons to study under my father,” she sighed. “I haven’t earned that level of trust.”

“Because you’re a young woman?”

“Maybe. Being one that lives with unmarried men doesn’t help either.”

“Then Tokyo hasn’t changed much.”

“And my classes keep on getting cancelled, as there is always someone antagonizing Kenshin or me by association.” She gave him a stare. He pretended to have heard nothing.

They continued to work in silence. When Enishi was done with cleaning the parts, he observed her tedious process of reassembly. Her brows knitted from the concentration, and sweat dripped down the side of her nose.

“How different is this from the devices you usually work on?” he asked.

“The principles are the same, but it’s put together differently.” She pointed at a section. “See this? This should have been installed at the back, but it’s not. It’s the stuff behind it that needs replacing more often, but those are now harder to access, making repair more time-consuming. It seems more like a prototype than a completed product.” Kaoru wiped the sweat off her forehead. There was a tag on the inside of the casing, but it was scratched off. “I take it that you didn’t buy this off the shelf?”

“No,” he said.

She raised an eyebrow. “It’s intended to be more than just a radio, isn’t it?”

“Emphasis on intended.”

“I wonder who’s developing this.”

“Keep wondering,” he replied dryly.

Kaoru kept on working, puzzling over the device in front of her. She kept thinking about other possible uses, but she crossed them off as quickly as they entered her head. They were just too ridiculous to contemplate. But then again, technological advances never moved in a logical straightforward direction, they were all the results of someone’s mad imagination and someone crazy enough to fund it. She assumed Enishi was the latter. “So what other devices does the syndicate collect?”

“Many things. Mostly anything to do with transport and weaponry.”

“I hope that plane wasn’t a prototype,” she remarked.

“They test things first before I use them. Or bad things happen.”

“To you or to them?”

“Them.”

Despite the cordial tone, she decided she didn’t really want to investigate further. Though she noted that Enishi was most receptive to conversation than any other time she had seen him. She decided to see how far she could push the conversation. She placed the radio on top of the table; she was almost done with it anyway. Kaoru stretched her limbs before settling back down on the floor.

“So other than that, what do the heads of the Shanghai syndicate do for fun? Breed exotic pets? Frequent opium dens with broads named Shanghai Lily?” she teased.

“You watch too many American movies,” he grinned.

Kaoru shrugged. “There’s a theatre up the street, and there aren’t enough Japanese films to watch.” He looked amused, but it didn’t look like he was going to add more. “C’mon, humour me,” she prodded.

He sighed. “No pets, no opium, and Shanghai Lily is an awful name.”

“So your broad is named Jade Dragon then?’

“That’s even worse,” he winced.

“Jasmine Tiger?”

He snorted. “What does that even mean? No silly names, and no broads to be referred to by silly names.”

“I doubt you don’t have vices, it comes with the job territory. I remember you with cigars.”

“Only once in a while. It’s bad for training.”

Kaoru laughed. “Because Enishi’s the good boy—all work and no play.”

“That’s not far from the truth,” he replied.

“Really? You get to the top and there’s nothing but more work? What’s the fun in that?”

“The bigger the operation, the more room there is for failure.”

“And here I was, aspiring to that managerial position at the factory,” she joked. Enishi didn’t laugh. He appeared to withdraw into a melancholy state, and his worry lines deepened.

She inwardly chided herself for taking the conversation in this direction, but he wasn’t the easiest person to talk to. Kaoru thought of ways to change the topic, but came up with a blank. She gave his arm a gentle squeeze. He returned with a small smile, but it was tinged with sadness.

“I live in the past, but you know this already,” he said.

“Yes, but what is your life like now?”

Enishi gave her a look, as if deciding how much to share with her.

“It’s busy,” he finally said. “The syndicate takes up most of the time of anyone involved in it. It has a life of its own.”

“But there’s something in it for them.”

“Of course. It’s one of the few places where anybody could rise up even if they start from nothing. It’s a meritocracy—even if a merciless one. But managing it is like coordinating an eight-headed dragon: there is always in-fighting between the heads, and they could easily kill each other as they could kill you.”

“Which means you always have to watch your back and know what’s coming three steps ahead. That explains a lot about you, chief”

He was contemplative for a moment. “May I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“In the dark hours of the night… what do you think about?”

She was taken aback. “What?”

He gave her a wry smile. “It’s not a trick question.”  He met her eyes. “What do you think about in those moments of silence? When you’re lying in bed, between wakefulness and sleep, and hear nothing but that voice in your head?”

Kaoru paused, reading his gaze. He wasn’t just making conversation, he was intent on a real answer.

“Be honest,” he said.

She frowned, thinking. “But those thoughts are a mess. They don’t mean anything.”

“They’re the raw material of your mind. Your worries, fantasies, and despair. They concern both the mundane world and the ideas that make us live out our lives. They’re the uncensored and unfiltered processes of human experience.”

She drew her brows together. When he put it like that, it made her want to share less.

He sighed. “Let’s start somewhere. You think about sex.”

Kaoru felt her cheeks redden. She thought back to laying awake in damp sheets in the humid night, watching Enishi’s form across the room, replaying imagined scenarios in her head. “Yes.”

“Okay, what else?”

She bit her lip, it took a bit of effort to recall these moments, she had never thought much about them.

“Work,” she said finally. “What I did that day and what I’m going to do tomorrow. My aching joints and fingers.” She looked at her hands, more rough than they had ever been. “Worrying about Kenshin. Worrying about the next fight. Bills. The dojo. Wondering what my dad would think of me now.”

Enishi remained silent but listening.

She wondered how specific she should get, but he asked her not to hold back. She took a deep breath. “I fantasize about the future, hoping for better times. Hoping that Kenshin will stop being restless. Hoping for the time where he has no more crises to be fix, no more fires to put out. So I could stop being so emotionally drained, and I could put my energy towards something else—and build something new.”

Kaoru laughed self-deprecatingly. “I don’t know what I want to build. It’s funny that these ideas are so vague. I’m afraid I’m not very interesting.” Enishi looked contemplative, and he didn’t seem to react to her mentioning Kenshin. “Does that answer your question?” she asked.

He nodded. “You feel responsible for others. The people who have your attention are fortunate,” he said not without jealousy.

She felt a pang. “But it’s not always reciprocated.”

“That’s foolish on their part.”

“You have odd ways of paying compliments, you know that?” she smiled. He didn’t reply. She grew silent and pondered over what Enishi’s attention meant to her.

Enishi looked too distant and sombre for his own good. She leaned into him and gave him a nudge. “What about you?” she whispered. “What do you think about at night?’

He stiffened. “I’m not sure if you want to know.”

“I bare my soul and you give me nothing in return? That’s a bad deal,” she pouted. But she didn’t lighten the mood and he remained silent. She pulled away from him.

Kaoru looked at him levelly. “Let’s start somewhere. You think about Tomoe.”

 He gave a pained expression. “Yes.”

“What else?”

The far away look returned to his eyes. “Even during my waking moments, I often hear a roaring din of voices. I don’t hear them the way I hear your voice. It’s that my thoughts and memories are so bloody loud.”

She recalled the moments when Kenshin had the same look, no doubt thinking about the past that haunted him. Those moods made him passive and unresponsive, as if he was a ghost wandering in her home, simply going through the motions of daily life. Kaoru thought back to Tomoe’s death, a moment no doubt eternally present in both men’s minds. “As if what you remember just happened yesterday?”

“Yes.”

She was unsure of what to say next.

“It’s strange how our minds work,” Enishi continued. “It likes to take our moments of contentment for granted but replay our times of misery. As if reliving a painful experience over and over again would change the past.”

“But it doesn’t.”

“No. And it lets a paralyzing dread creep in—worrying about problems that we can’t act on, but only feel miserable about. The mind is a masochistic creature oftentimes.”

That idea wasn’t unfamiliar to her. When Kenshin had left for Kyoto, she had sunken into a deep depression, catatonic with worry. Unable to eat, unable to do anything but fall into a restless sleep. “I wish I could rewire my brain sometimes.”

Enishi laughed grimly. “I wish my mind would shut up. It does, from time to time.”

“When?”

“When there is enough going on to get its attention. A challenging fight. Sex. Getting lost in a thunderstorm, with the vibrations rattling your bones and the thunder filling your ears. In moments like those, there’s no escaping the present. It liberates you from the burden of time, and it makes you feel horribly alive.”

Kaoru considered that idea and made a nod. Nothing makes you forget your problems quicker then being in a survival mode. It was a form of escape.

Rain tapped against the roof, then it became a hammering. The storm picked up again. She could feel the moisture bring a chill to her bones.

She bit her lip absentmindedly. “I find that problems get worse when they’re stuck in your head. They go around in circles, making things even more complicated as they go. Having someone to talk to helps with that. It puts them into perspective.”

“People bring their own set of problems,” Enishi replied, “especially if they have interests in the syndicate. Of recent years, wine has been the most dependable confidant.”

She could picture him as a powerful man, but exhausted, friendless, and alone.

“Sounds like you could use some company in your life, chief.” She squeezed his hand reassuringly. He didn’t smile, but he didn’t move away either.

Kaoru spread his hands open, with her palms aligning against his. Her fingertips glided over calluses and cuts that hadn’t quite healed over. His hands had the markings of a swordsman, a survivor. Their hands were surprisingly alike.

They watched each other intently. She hesitated, but leaned in and gave him a kiss.

When Enishi kissed her back and drew her into his arms, she realized that she wasn’t with him just because of sexual attraction, but because she had a genuine desire to share companionship. God help her, she cared about him.

His warmth enveloped her, and she became aware of his nakedness again. Her palms slid up his muscled back. He buried his fingers in her hair and planted kisses down her neck. While she relished the sensations of his touch, she was also aware of a quiver in his motions.

Kaoru pulled away. She unbuttoned her blouse and removed the rest of her clothes. She stroked his cheek and locked lips with him again. Their bare skin pressed against each other and they sighed with relief. He gathered her up in his arms and laid her on the bed. She pulled him down beside her, then she sat on top of him with his torso pinned between her knees. Enishi’s first instinct was to grip her hips to reverse their positions, but she chuckled and pinned his arms down.

“Relax,” she smiled. “You need to learn how to let other people take control sometimes.”

“I don’t object. Far from it,” he breathed.

She raked her eyes up his body. Although she could sense his desire for her, she knew that he also desperately longed for her acceptance. When she understood her power over him, it made her shudder, and an equally strong emotion filled her. She wanted to reassure him and pleasure him, and it was a compulsion that she felt deep in her bones.

Kaoru laid a kiss on his forehead, and lowered herself down on him. They found temporary solace in each other, losing themselves in the moment, and shutting out the sounds of the surging storm around them.


	8. Final Day

The typhoon had left. She felt relief, but she also felt unsure of what to do next.

Kaoru opened the windows. She heard croaks, buzzing, and screeches—not in the multitudes she last recalled, but the creatures seemed to have returned to some semblance of normal life.

Enishi opened the doorway and stepped outside. Sunlight flooded the room, and it was almost blinding with its brightness. It must have been midday already.

"We're alive, they're alive—and we can eat them," she grinned at Enishi.

He grunted. He stretched his limbs.

She watched him for a moment.

"The radio is almost finished, but we should feed ourselves first," she continued. "No point getting rescued if the plane only reaches a pair of emaciated corpses."

He gathered up the fishing equipment. "I'll take care of it. You can stay here."

"No, I'll join you," she said.

He nodded. They made their way towards the ocean. The typhoon changed the landscape so much that it was like they were on a different island. Most of the natural landmarks that she knew were gone, left upturned or swept away. The only thing she recognized was the bamboo grove that she saw on the first day.

Once they reached the sea, they waded waist-deep in the waters and set out the fishing tools. Given her prior experience with this type of fishing, Kaoru knew that she wasn't going to be much help, but she wanted to stretch out her limbs anyway.

As they began to catch fish, neither of them spoke to one other beyond rudimentary instructions. Uneasiness hung in the air. Kaoru itched to fill in the void with conversation, but it was like tiptoeing around glass, as if each word either of them uttered brought them closer to addressing the unresolved matter between them. She knew that she had to confront him about his revenge, but she didn't want to bring it up. She wanted to savour the last moments of peace between them. So for the time being, Kaoru thought of nothing beyond the work in front of her and the cleansing scent of the sea.

They went back to camp with their haul and ate their meal in silence. The tension grew between them, and it was increasingly difficult to avoid conversation. Her mind ran in circles, replaying the events of the past week in her mind. What did two nights of intimacy mean? It depended on what was about to happen next.

After cleaning up and returning to the shack, it was only then that Enishi spoke.

"There's been a change in plans," he said.

Kaoru waited for him to continue.

"Prior to this week, the initial plan was for us to travel to an island base, but I have decided that the trip is unnecessary. Once we radio my men, we will fly to Shanghai directly."

"What?"

He began to pace. "I know a teacher who can provide you with private lessons. I'll pay for it of course."

She furrowed her brows. "What does Shanghai have to do with me?"

He paused. "I live there."

"And you want me to visit?"

"Not visit. Live with me."

Kaoru steadied herself against a chair. Her grip tightened and her knuckles turned bone white.

She forced herself to take a deep breath; she had to broach the subject carefully.

"I like you… and I want to see Shanghai someday." Kaoru bit her lip. "But I don't think I can live with you."

He turned to look at her. "Why?"

"Everything I have is in Tokyo. My work, my friends—my life."

His eyes softened, but a corner of his mouth turned up in amusement. "You don't need them. I can take care of you."

Enishi stepped towards her. "You can start a new dojo in Shanghai. I'll finance it." His voice was warm and reassuring even as the blood drained from her face.

Kaoru looked down at her toes. She couldn't believe that this was happening. A sense of vertigo hit her, and she was caught between fear and exhilaration. She wasn't going to kid herself, there was something appealing about benefiting from the deep pockets of the Shanghai syndicate. But even if she completely trusted him, it was going all wrong. She'd never be sure if that dojo was really hers.

She met his gaze. "It's not my city."

"Not yet." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "It can be a dangerous place but I'll keep an eye on you. I'll assign you a bodyguard—"

"That isn't all of it."

Enishi gave her a scrutinizing look. Even though his features barely changed, she could tell that his emotions shifted from concern to something like resignation. "If it's because you feel obligated towards your duties in Tokyo, that doesn't matter—they believe you're dead."

Kaoru choked. "What?"

He stared at her intently, his expression unreadable. "One of my men, Gein, is exceptionally skilled at making his… creations."

She recalled Gein's monster at the night of the kidnapping. Gein manipulated its movements through intricate wirework—he called it a mechanical doll. It towered over the low-rise apartment buildings with a manic smile. It was simultaneously humanoid and amphibian. Machine and flesh. Life-like but not alive. Body parts and clockwork gears were fused together to form these abominations. Gein took pleasure in crafting their forms and elevated it to the status of high art.

Enishi's eyes held her gaze.

"He made one that looked like me." Her knees felt weak. She lowered herself to the chair. Enishi's silence was confirmation. He had staged her death.

"How did I die?" she whispered.

"Must you know?"

"Yes."

He hesitated. "From a stab wound in the chest."

Kaoru said nothing.

He crouched down to her level. "But don't you see? You have no more responsibilities." He swept a lock of hair from her eyes. "You're free."

She stared blankly at the ground. Her vision began to blur.

"You'll never have to work at a factory again," he continued softly. "I can help you do anything you want."

Kaoru bit her lip and struggled to hold herself together.

"They all must be grieving. Kenshin must be grieving," she murmured.

"Yes. He must be." She looked into his eyes and he looked… triumphant.

Enishi already had his revenge.

She fought the urge to scream. Then her feelings gave way to a sense of loss. Of disorientation. Despite everything she had fought for in her life, it was all gone in a night. Just a minor incident in the grand scheme of revenge. A pawn swept off the shoji board.

Nothing personal.

She stood up. It pained her to look at Enishi, but it invigorated her. Wrath filled her being.

"You may not think much of my life," she seethed, "but I do." She advanced towards him. "I'm going to have it back, and you're going to let them know that I'm alive."

Enishi stepped back, but kept his face impassive. "Calm down. Consider the opportunities that this presents."

"Fuck the opportunities! How are you going to fix this?"

His eyes flared. "I won't be talked to like this."

"You're lucky that I haven't ripped out your throat," she roared.

His face turned ugly and he raised a hand. She lifted her chin and dared him on. She wanted to fight him; her back foot inched back subconsciously, almost adopting a fighting stance. She already had good reason to tear him apart, but him laying down the first blow would seal the deal. Her fists itched to connect with something, to satisfy this mad fury growing inside of her. She had the urge to bruise and batter him like the way he made her feel.

She expected to deflect a blow, but Enishi instead shoved her back. When she regained her balance, he was already halfway across the room, with his body turned away from her.

"Damnit Kaoru, I'm not going to fight you." He hung his head and slumped against the wall.

Her heart raced and her hands remained clenched. She hated him even more for making it sound like she was the instigator.

"You are already fighting me." She wished she sounded more angry and less vulnerable. Less heartbroken. "How do you explain the situation I'm in?"

"That took place a week ago." There was a sadness in his eyes. Maybe it was even regret.

"But what about now?"

"Things have changed." He looked at her.

She met his gaze, but said nothing.

He stood up but remained by the wall. "Are you sure you don't want to go to Shanghai?"

She turned away. "No. Not like this."

"I won't force you, but if you don't go," his voice hardened, "I have no choice but to keep you as prisoner."

She laughed bitterly. "You sure know how to treat a girl right."

"Kaoru, don't make me do this," he pleaded.

"You can't expect me to fall into your arms after what you've done. And what you're still doing."

There was a drawn out silence.

"No. I suppose not," he said finally.

Kaoru clenched her jaw and focused on her anger, ignoring the other emotions clouding her mind. He remained still. Neither of them moved towards the other in an attempt to close their widening distance.

Despite their physical proximity, she felt like they were worlds away—strangers once again.

"If you have nothing more to say, then get out," she snapped.

He flinched, but he didn't move an inch.

"Didn't you hear me? GET OUT!" she shrieked.

Enishi made his way to the door. "I'll be back in the morning," he said with a final glance back.

Then he was gone.

Kaoru faced the door for sometime, lost in thought. She felt like she was spiralling into mania from the torrent of emotions flooding through her. Outrage. Grief. Longing. Disappointment. She was torn between screaming at the top of her lungs while breaking everything in sight, or crumpling to the ground while wondering about where they've buried her. So she simply stood there, dazed.

She had never felt so useless in her life. She had trained all these years for what? Just to become a fucking victim. All those skills gone to utter waste.

Kaoru raced outside and punched the closest tree in sight. She did it again, then with the other hand. The bark scratched the skin off her knuckles and caused it to bleed a little, but she didn't care. She pummelled the bloody thing.

She visualized the tree as person, and its face changed to reflect the enemies she had encountered in her life: the school bully who had the honour of being on the receiving end of her first choke hold; the attacker who held a knife to her throat, who promptly found himself with said knife shoved into his side and an elbow to the face; the corrupt police chief who learned to never set foot in her neighbourhood ever again; the countless toughs she thrashed while helping Kenshin; one of Shishio's swordsmen, whose six-foot long scythe didn't stand against her bokken; and then finally a Shanghai mafia lord, smiling down at her condescendingly.

She kicked that smirk, and the tree snapped in half.

The blood pounded in her ears, and her palms felt damp from either sweat or blood. She felt better.

Kaoru replayed the conversation with Enishi in her mind, as if to make sense of it all. _Things have changed_, he said. Apparently not much has changed if his revenge was still charging ahead in full force. For as long as he was letting Kenshin believe that she was dead, he was living out the revenge and relishing every minute of it. He disgusted her.

How could someone of his intelligence be so fucking stupid? How could he have such insight and reflection, and yet be so delusional? She hated him. She hated him for not being the man that he could have been. If she had wasted her combat skills, he had wasted his entire life.

She thought back to his offer of bringing her to Shanghai. Kaoru frowned. She sensed no malicious intent directed towards her. In fact, it seemed like he had hoped for her to be pleased. Revenge and murder aside, he genuinely wanted to be with her.

Kaoru let out a scream. She sat down and buried her face in her hands, reining her thoughts back in order.

She thought back to the radio. She had told him that it was unfinished to buy her time to decide what to do next, but it was ready. Even though he posed her options as binary, to either go to Shanghai or be a prisoner, she had more options than that. She could hide from him, take the radio with her, and signal a plane to fly her back to Tokyo. It was risky, but her friends needed her and she had to end this revenge.

Kaoru lowered her hands. But that would leave him stranded on the island with almost no chance of escape. That would end the revenge by removing Enishi from the picture, but she wasn't that cruel. She couldn't do that, not even for a greater good.

She stood up, steadied by determination. Fine, she'd leave the radio behind, but she was done with him. She glared down at fallen tree and spat at it.

* * *

She moved through the jungle swiftly. Each thought of Tokyo urged her on. She had her tools in her pockets, but she hoped that she'd come across the axe. It would make chopping wood a lot easier.

Kaoru reached a clearing that seemed wider than she last remembered. Or maybe she didn't need that axe, the ground was littered with branches and wood of all sizes. She picked up a piece and examined it. It was a bit wet to the touch, so she wasn't sure if she'd be able to kindle them properly. She dropped the piece and picked up another, beginning to gather up the drier ones. It was a time-consuming task. She bent down to turn over rocks and uprooted bushes to see if there was anything sheltered from the worst of the storm. After combing through the area, she collected enough to form a small heap, although her back ached by the end of it. There was nothing left to do but to wait for a plane. So she retreated into the shade and waited.

The sun travelled across the horizon and she lost track of time. Kaoru didn't have the foresight to bring at least one bed sheet with her for the cool nights, she could be in for another week's wait for all she knew. She did nothing to pass the time, her thoughts kept her enough company.

Enishi was a coward. He had shifted the onus onto her instead of facing the fact that it was his revenge driving them apart. She shook her head at his skillful manipulation of the situation, even if he was doing it to avoid the tough questions himself. Kaoru wrapped her arms around her knees and directed her thoughts back to home.

When she returned to Tokyo, would things still be the same between her and Kenshin? No. He was attractive, but his demeanour was of a saint. He was like Kannon, an otherworldly figure of infinite mercy. While she still cared deeply about Kenshin, the nature of her love was changing.

As moon rose and she began to turn in for the night, a rumbling came from the distance.

A plane.

Kaoru scampered back towards the pile of wood in the middle of the clearing, fumbling around for the lighter. A split moment of panic hit her when she thought that she lost it, but she felt its cool touch and pulled it out.

The rumbling came closer.

She flicked the lighter on, but a gust of wind blew out the flame. Kaoru tried it again, unfortunately to the same result. She cursed and angled her body to shield the flame. Then she was paralyzed with a sudden thought.

This wouldn't end until either Enishi or Kenshin was a broken man.

If she returned to Kenshin's side, Enishi would simply confront them again. Enishi was the aggressor, and he was the one that had to be stopped. Kenshin wouldn't be able to stop him with sense, but only with a sword. Or she'd lose Kenshin to his sword.

Kaoru cried out. The hums of the plane grew louder.

This was wrong. There had to be another way.

She remembered Enishi's embrace; the story about Tomoe and the unfortunate broth; the surprising anecdotes of insight; his dry sense of humour; the dread that haunted him; the loneliness that he took for granted; and the small smiles that tugged at the corner of his mouth and filled her with warmth.

The plane flew directly overhead, a dark shadow against the white expanse of the moon.

She dropped the lighter and looked at her rough, callused hands. Working girl's hands. It was strange to think of the responsibility that she held in them. They held the legacy of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, an idealistic fighting style; "Swords that give life," as her father said. Swords not to kill, but to protect.

Kaoru breathed in deeply. Taking that ideal to the logical conclusion, it was a conduct for life. It wasn't only about not taking away life, but not letting life be taken away when it was in your power. It was a difficult standard to live up into in this mad world, but it made the practice even more important.

No, she wasn't going to let anybody die, not if she could help it. If she stayed with Enishi as a prisoner, she would have limited knowledge of the outside world, but he would treat her well. She wouldn't be in mortal danger. She'd have to postpone her life in the meantime, but that would buy her time. She could incorporate herself in his world and find opportunities to influence him. She wasn't sure exactly how and she wasn't a manipulative person by nature, but she shared a connection with Enishi that could end this without violence.

It was what Kenshin taught her best. You don't defeat your adversaries by cutting them down—real triumph comes from changing them. It was risky and oftentimes stupid, but it was the only solution that created lasting peace. If you killed them, it gave a reason for others to go after you and escalate the conflict. This was the philosophy that defined Kenshin from his past: he was the healer, not the manslayer. She could be putting herself in more danger because she wanted to save everyone, but she would rather take the risk than pick who to save.

Kaoru laughed at herself. It sounded stupid and naive, to think that she could change Enishi by letting herself be taken prisoner. She could just hear Megumi criticize her now. Maybe she was being a sap or a love-struck fool. Who knew?

The plane flew past the moonlight and retreated into shadow.

Life would be more sane if it was like sword-fighting: you knew when you were right and when you were wrong. One gets your opponent's face to the ground; the other had your face down instead. And these would take place in the matter of minutes. But real life worked on the long scale, and was mostly incomprehensible and filled with uncertainty. And most of the time, it felt like your face was down in the gutter anyway. This could be the worst decision of her life, or it could be the wisest one. But either way, it wasn't going to be easy.

The sounds faded away. The plane was gone.

She turned away from the clearing and pursed her lips.

"I'm going to regret this."

* * *

The sky was a cheery blue in contrast to the oppressive gloom that she felt. She trailed behind Enishi as they walked across towards a jet black seaplane. She held her head high and mustered what dignity she could, although she knew that she was walking back into imprisonment.

"We're pleased to have you back, sir." The henchman bowed.

"Likewise."

He handed Enishi a fresh shirt and a cigar, and Kaoru an oversized house coat. She raised an eyebrow, but it was better than the rags that clung to her body. She threw the coat on.

"Has Heishin kept things in order?" Enishi asked, lighting the cigar.

The henchman paused. "Mr. Woo has been found guilty of sabotaging your plane's navigational systems. He's now in a holding cell in Macau."

Enishi frowned."Why so far away? I'd like to see the snot being tortured myself." He drew on his cigar. "Who's been in charge?"

"Mister Yuan, sir. He will brief you over phone once we reach the Isle."

Enishi made a nod and clambered on to the plane, all the while muttering something about an eight-headed dragon. He turned and offered his hand to Kaoru. She looked up to his face for a moment, and it held no emotion aside from impatience. She took the hand anyway. Her feet stepped off sand and padded on to a grey carpet with a geometric pattern that was too bold for the size of the plane. The interior wasn't as ostentatious as last time, but there was a consistency to the aesthetic, and it was eerily familiar. There were only two seats at the back and there was an ashtray between them. Enishi relaxed into one; she occupied the other while trying to ignore the cigar smoke.

The henchman followed after them and settled into the pilot's seat.

"And sir, there's one more thing."

Enishi grunted.

"Our Tokyo agents say that Battousai has found out about the girl. He left the city with a small party and is likely searching for the Isle as we speak."

Kaoru felt a surge of joy, but it ended quickly. No, it was too soon.

He grinned. "Interesting. I'll be ready."

The plane took off. She looked out the window and the island shrunk in size until it was only one out of many, as if the events of the past week were nothing more than a blip in the course of history. They were resuming where they left off.

Did she overestimate her influence over Enishi? She glanced over to him as he relished the last of his cigar. He appeared to be his old self again.

Kaoru sunk into her seat, crestfallen. She turned over her hands. Maybe everything was the same, only that she was more roughed up and life became even more complicated. Maybe that was all there was: things never improved, you just got more damaged and the scars that didn't fade are what people called character.

Enishi reached over and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear, his finger lingering over her cheek. It was an act of affection and presumptuous intimacy. She made herself look away demurely, but she couldn't blush. She had to work on that. He leaned back into his seat, satisfied.

No, things weren't the same. She wasn't the same person that survived the plane crash. She could see possibilities now that she wasn't able to see before, and that's what mattered.

"Make sure the room beside mine is cleaned up," Enishi ordered the henchman.

The henchman turned around briefly. "Yes, sir. Any other changes to the plan regarding the girl?"

Enishi stared at her possessively, his eyes betraying overconfidence. Kaoru held his gaze, making mental notes and mapping out her next steps for once they reached the Isle.

"It depends. But for now, it's business as usual," he grinned.

Kaoru allowed herself a small smile. _I wouldn't count on that, chief. _

_-_The End-

* * *

**Author's Note**

Thanks for reading this fic! And thank you to everyone who have volunteered their valuable time beta-reading this project of mine. This is the longest completed story I have ever written to date, and it has given me the confidence to work on more ambitious projects. Unfortunately, those projects are not Rurouni Kenshin fanfic, but if you are intrigued, feel free to PM me and we'll see if I have something for you to read

I learned a lot about storytelling with this fic: finding a rhythm to dialogue, developing tone, and most of all—character development. While Rurouni Kenshin is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, I tried my best to flesh out the characters from an angle that isn't often seen in the official text. I made up a lot of character details and histories, but I hope you find them plausible and in the spirit of the characters.

Although this story's first intention is to entertain, one of the strengths of "transformative works" is its ability to engage with the ideas found in the original text while using the same language of storytelling. We're fans. We get attached to stories because they have a message that speaks to us. And sometimes, we want to answer back. I wrote this fic with the agenda of giving our female lead a strength that was denied to her by the canon. I hope I added something new to the conversation.

If you have any comments or questions, feel free to review or PM away.

Thanks for reading!

Frida


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